New Dreams, Old Nightmares
by Kusanagi Mamoru
Summary: YYH Continuation. Not all are happy with the new order established by Enkisama in Makai. With a new tournament on the horizon, a growing faction will unleash a power that would throw the peace between both worlds into total war. UPDATED 50307
1. Welcome Home

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Hey all, and welcome to my first fic on this site! This fic is a continuation of the end of Yu Yu Hakusho. I loved the entire series, but if you're like me, you found the end to be incredibly…well…rushed is the only word for it. The ending of the series and the final episode left open so many possibilities for all the different characters. This is my take and my little story/chapter/saga as to what happened after the end of the series.

Note – I do not own any these characters or the anime in question, although I DO have three Yu Yu Hakusho related claims to fame - The character designer of YYH and the president of Perriot thought my Kurama costume was the best they had ever seen, my Youko Kurama and remarkably, Kuwabara cosplays turned many fangirls into a puddle by their own admission (;;; ), and I ran into a smashed Justin Cook at about two in the morning in Anaheim, and he wanted to take me out for a few drinks.

Justin, if you're reading this, you're _so_ on at Anime Expo this summer.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter 1: Welcome Home**

"Come on, everyone, let's go home. I'm starving and I haven't had a double cheeseburger in two years!" Yusuke said, holding his shirt and wringing it to try and get the salt water out of it.

He didn't mind too much, though. They had all just engaged in a gigantic waterfight in the shallows, watched over by the sunset. The salt air tickled his nose and the cool water lapped at his ankle. The seagulls and the noises they made sounded like music. He closed his eyes and raised his face to the west, bathing it in the beauty of the dying sun.

After two years, Yusuke Urameshi was home.

The wave rolled back out towards the ocean, taking with it the sand beneath his heels. He fell backward with a yelp and a splash.

"While I'm sure your training has left you exhausted, surely you do not lack the strength to stand?" Kurama asked with a chuckle. He stood further up on the beach with Shizuru, the only two who did not jump in the water earlier.

Yusuke turned to look at his friends. Keiko was by his side, kneeling next to him in the water, not wanting to let him out of her sight. Botan, Kuwabara, and Yukina were still chuckling, all doing their best to get the water out of their own garments. Yusuke braced himself and got to his feet, brushing himself off.

"Hey, what do you guys want to do tonight?" Kuwabara asked. "It's great to have you back, Urameshi, we should all get together and celebrate!"

Yusuke laughed and walked back up the beach towards his friends. "Promise you won't kill me for this?" He placed his hand behind his head. "I'm really tired and I'm soaked. I got sand in places that my underwear is riding up in and I'd prefer to get home before I get a nasty rash."

"Gee Urameshi, you don't have to be so technical."

"Might I suggest that we postpone the festivities until tomorrow? It would allow Yusuke some time to recover."

"Yeah, then we can throw a kick-ass welcome home party!" Kuwabara yelled, punching his fist up in the air.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, little bro." Shizuru said.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, stop treating me like one!"

"Not a chance. You'll _always_ be my little brother," she exclaimed, grabbing him in a headlock and running her knuckles through his orange hair.

"We should all agree to get together at Genkai's tomorrow evening. Yukina, would you like to come shopping with me? We're going to need a lot of food for tomorrow!" Botan asked, grinning and clapping her hands.

"Sure!" Yukina replied.

They were all walking away from the water now, having reached the edge of the trail that led through the woods back to Genkai's compound. Keiko reached out and grabbed Yusuke's arm as they were walking.

"Sounds like it might be fun! How is the old fossil?"

"Master Genkai will outlive us all, I fear." Kurama said over his shoulder.

Truth be told, Yusuke was still in shock. This was the first time he had been back to Ningenkai, although he met with Kurama regularly in Makai. He was amazed to see how everyone had changed. Kuwabara looked more like a man now, Yukina was a few inches taller, and even Shizuru carried herself better.

And then there was Keiko.

He looked at the girl who was on his right arm, holding his hand.

She had definitely grown and matured over the last two years. Her hair was an improvement, and her uniform was filled in all the right places. Yusuke noticed this absentmindedly as he could still feel her lips pressed against his in the second kiss they had ever shared.

Was she really sixteen now? Was _he_? So much time had gone by so quickly that he could barely believe it.

Keiko turned and saw Yusuke looking at him out of the corner of his eye. She blushed slightly and leaned her head against his.

"I missed you, Yusuke."

He gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. "I missed you too, Keiko. More than you'll ever know…"

Kurama had his hands in his pockets, smiling. He was happy for his friends, and also for himself. Now that Yusuke was back home, he would finally be able to free his guilt that he kept for the last two years.

Kuwabara's voice cut through his thoughts as he spoke to his sister and Yukina. "What type of food do you think we should bring? Let's see, some pizza, some sushi, those little octopus sausages I like so much…" he said, counting off on his fingers.

"Just don't get anything that would be too hard on grandma's dentures," the former reikai-tantei replied. He got a slap to the back of the head from Keiko for that comment.

"Ow!" Yusuke yelped, nursing his head. "Keiko, what the hell was that for?"

"Yusuke, you should speak better of her than that, after all she's done…"

"Lighten up, would you? I was only kidding."

"Aww, look at the two precious lovebirds! Great way to make a move on him, Keiko!"

"At least she's actually _made_ a move, bro."

"Wha…what's that supposed to mean?" Kuwabara asked, a sweatdrop on the back of his head. He blushed and looked up the trail about twenty feet where the two blue-haired apparitions were chatting excitedly about food.

Yusuke stopped and looked around at the beautiful forest. The wind was making the trees sway ever so gently, and the leaves cast shadows on his face. It was getting darker.

"What time does the last train leave back home?" he asked, suddenly, making the others stop.

Botan checked her watch. "Umm, about two hours."

"Hmm, that would place us back there around ten tonight, right?"

"Don't worry, Yusuke. Master Genkai stated that we are welcome to stay the night if we wish."

"I might have to take you guys up on that tomorrow, actually."

"What? This is your first day back to Ningenkai in almost three years, and you just wanna go home?"

"Kuwabara, _nothing_ sounds better to me right now than going home, taking a nice hot shower, and falling asleep in my own bed. I might have demon blood and all that, but that doesn't mean this isn't my home."

Keiko stopped and pulled on his arm slightly, causing her to face him.

"You sure?" she asked with a small smile, but serious, pained eyes as she looked at him. The expression was enough to make Yusuke's heart break right there in that instant.

Make her understand. Talk to her. Tell her what's going on.

Later. Not right now. Just enjoy this.

"How about we give you guys a call later tomorrow?" he yelled, turning his head towards the others.

" 'We?' "

"Yes, dumbass, _we._ The two of us have a lot of catching up to do and a lot to talk about."

Kuwabara turned around and yelled. "Aw, come on! You can hang out with all of us! You see Kurama on a regular basis in Makai and now that you're back, why do you want to hang with Keiko first?"

Yusuke could tell his friend was joking but it annoyed him anyway. "Okay, fine. Let's go by seniority. I've known Keiko since we were just out of diapers and I didn't start beating three shades of shit out of you for at least another ten years after that. Keiko comes first," Yusuke finished with a much lower voice as he lowered his head. "I've made her wait long enough."

Shizuru, without missing a beat, without even changing her pace, walked past her brother and grabbed him by the ear, causing him to wince as she dragged him away.

"Come on sis, let go! Us humans gotta stick together!"

"Fine, I'll stick with Keiko. Move."

"Kurama? What about you? Back me up on this!"

"I'd love to offer my assistance, were I completely human…"

"Why me…?"

Kurama turned to Yusuke, and smiled. Yusuke gave a nod to his friend. "I'll see you guys tomorrow then. And Kurama…thank you."

"Seeing the look of joy on Keiko's face is more than enough. Just try not to put me in the middle next time," he finished with an upbeat note.

With that, the quintet was gone, leaving the couple in their wake.

They stared at each other, for a while, studying the features that had become so different in the last years, but somehow, stayed warm and familiar.

_I can finally hold you again…I missed you so much…_

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and threatened to break free.

Yusuke gently moved and kissed her forehead. "Come on, spitfire, let's go home."

Keiko nodded.

* * *

Well, that was it for chapter one! I don't know where I plan to take this story just yet but like the summary said, there's very little that _couldn't_ be incorporated into a Yu Yu continuation. Please read and review! 


	2. How Long Has It Been?

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Hey all, time for Chapter 2! I'm feeling very sick as I write this, but I want to continue with the ideas I had from last night and get this updated as soon as possible.

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything related to it except for a few of my original characters, which may or may not be introduced in this chapter.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter 2: How long has it been?**

Yusuke and Keiko stepped off the train at station. He had his bag slung over his shoulder, and his other arm reached out to take Keiko's. The night was moving in quickly, and while for the most part, their clothes were dry, they were still damp in a few places.

Didn't want to catch a cold on your first day back.

"Where to?" Yusuke said. "Your house first, or mine?"

Keiko thought for a moment as they walked down the stairs leading to the street below. "My house is on the way to yours. Can we stop so I can get a change of clothes?" She bit her lip before continuing. "I…can I shower at your place? It's been so long, I guess I'm afraid that if I let you out of my sight that you'll disappear again…"

Yusuke untangled his arm from hers and placed it around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. "That's fine with me, but won't your parents be a little worried?"

The two continued walking down the street, their footfalls the only sounds against the ambient noises of the city.

* * *

"So, the prodigal dimwit returns," the old woman said as she set down her cup of tea. Kurama and Shizuru were kneeling around a small table with her, having been called there by her request. Yukina, Botan, and Kuwabara were still relaxing in the main living room. 

"He's changed a lot. It's good to see him, and my brother is happier than I've seen him in a long time."

"Yes, and Keiko as well. For all of our sakes, it is good to see him again."

Genkai chuckled. "How long will he be back this time?"

Kurama placed his own cup on the table. "I don't know. The next Makai tournament will be in a few months and Yusuke expressed his desire to participate again." He smirked. "Even I'm curious as to how I will fare in this next one."

"You're going to enter again?" Shizuru asked the redhead.

"Yes, I've actually been looking forward to it, along with many of my friends in Makai."

Shizuru laughed. "So, what would my favorite redhead do if he ended up winning and becoming the ruler of all of Makai?"

Kurama smiled. "I know I stand no chance of winning. I simply wish to refine and test my skills. The tournament provides a relatively safe way for all yokai to do that, and many are entering for that very same reason. Luck is a large factor in determining the winner of the tournament."

"I thought it was might-makes-right. How did luck have anything to do with it?"

"A lot of the stronger fighters were paired against each other earlier on in the tournament. They used almost all their energy to win, and were not at top strength when they faced later opponents. This is how Yomi and Mukuro ended up losing about halfway through the tournament." He took another sip of his tea before continuing. "Yomi defeated Yusuke but used so much energy that he lost in the very next round." Kurama then chuckled. "I fell victim to the same ploy when I used almost all of my energy to defeat Shigure."

"It's not often we see you lose, Kurama."

"It was just my luck. I would have been paired up against one of Raizen's old friends in the next round. I actually withdrew from the tournament before that round started. I would have had no chance of victory and I was injured."

The old mentor nodded. "A wise decision. Too bad Yusuke never learned the lesson of quitting while you're ahead."

"Well, in his defense, quitting usually meant dying." Shizuru added.

"That's true. So tell us, Kurama. If you and the dimwit were to go up against each other, how do you think you would do against him?"

Kurama laughed. "Truth be told, I don't know if I could win, and if I did, Yusuke would be in fairly bad shape."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I have much more tact and reasoning in battle than Yusuke, but his abilities far surpass mine. I have a feeling I would have to seriously injure him to win, and not just put him in a position where it was imminent. Yusuke would never stop and never admit he was beaten, and his endurance greatly exceeds mine in that regard."

"You took your fair share of beatings. I don't know how anyone could have lived what Karisu put you through."

A cold shiver went up Kurama's spine at the memory of that yokai. "It's not like I enjoy putting that theory to the test."

"Nobody ever does, Kurama," Genkai said, as she reached for the kettle to pour herself some more tea. "Would you like some more?"

"Thank you, Master Genkai," replied Kurama. "It's quite good."

"Thank my age. However, I didn't invite you in here to just make small talk and enjoy a cup of tea."

Shizuru and Kurama straightened up as they turned to look at her.

"You remember what I said earlier, about how I would entrust this compound to your group?"

They nodded.

Genkai sighed. "In spirit, I do mean that. The problem is, I need a sole proprietor in charge of my estate when I move on. I know all of you have the best intentions but in all honesty, you two are the only ones I feel would be able to competently handle it."

"One of us?" Shizuru asked.

"Would _you_ feel comfortable leaving this responsibility in the hands of your brother? He has enough to worry about with exams approaching and all the work he's been doing to have something like this dumped in his lap. Yukina is a sweet girl but doesn't know too much about the ways of this world. And Botan…"

"I see your point."

"Would one of you be willing to volunteer?"

Kurama and Shizuru stared at each other. Kurama was the first to speak up.

"Master Genkai, I would feel honored with this responsibility, if you would entrust it to me."

"Oh no you don't." Shizuru said. "I'm the only one without life pressing down on me and I don't have any fights-for-the-supreme-ruler-of-an-entire-world coming up. Sorry Kurama, but I think this would be better for me to take care of."

Kurama's surprise quickly gave way to a smile and a small bow. "I thank you, Shizuru-san."

"Well, now that that's taken care of, I need to rest these old bones." Genkai said, rising to her feet. "It seems my place was volunteered for a party tomorrow night and I'd like to be well rested. Kurama, you can share the guest room with Kuwabara. Shizuru, there's another room for you and the girls," the old master stated as she walked towards the door, with Kurama and Shizuru getting up to follow.

* * *

"Aww man! I can't believe this!" 

Yusuke was at his home, in his room, or at least, what once was his room. Boxes of junk were everywhere, including the bed in the corner. Atsuko had turned it into a storage area. There was barely any exposed floor.

"Well, Yusuke," Keiko said, "you _were_ gone for a very long time…"

"Oh sure. Multi-time savior-of-the-world moves out for a while and his mother turns his room into storage! What a lot of thanks I get!" he said with an exasperated sigh as he started to toss a few boxes that were in the way of the dresser. Keiko remained at the door, a bag of clothes in her hand that she brought from her place.

"Where is my mother anyway?"

"I don't know, I haven't talked with her in a while…"

"Well, you do have a key to the place so I didn't have to break the door down," Yusuke said as he finally cleared away a space big enough to open the dresser drawers. Digging through the various items of clothing there, he sighed again. "Guess I realized how much I've grown over the last few years…none of these things will fit me anymore…"

He reached down and grabbed his bag, undoing the drawstring on it. From it he pulled out a few basic articles of clothing – a few undershirts, a few jeans, a pair of cotton pants, some boxers, and socks.

"Where did you get those? Those look like you got them from the mall not too far from here…"

Yusuke laughed. "I had Kurama get a few items for me when he went back and forth that fit me. I really like some of the stuff Makai has though, but when yokai come in all shapes and sizes, there aren't too many specialists in clothing that's comfortable for humans. Come to think of it," he said, placing a finger on his chin and looking up at the ceiling, "All my sparring clothes are from Makai but all my casual wear and sleeping clothes are from here…"

"This fabric is so light and soft!" Keiko said in surprise as she fingered the fabric of one of his shirts. Yusuke saw that it was one of the yellow sleeveless ones he liked to wear, a throwback to the old tournament on Hanging Neck island.

"Yeah, it's like cotton, only about three times as light and strong. I don't think anything in Ningenkai would stand up to the stuff from Makai."

"Why is that?"

"Well, when you fight, you need some pretty durable clothing. The level of the fights that happened in the Ankoku Bujutsukai were child's play compared to even the sparring that happens in the warm-ups. Don't want to get hit by a blast and end up naked," he chuckled.

Keiko blushed. "No, I would sure hope not! But…you mean the fighting is even worse than Toguro…?"

Yusuke turned to look at her. "Well, yeah, but not in the way you're thinking…"

Keiko remembered that fight all too well. Watching the larger yokai practically torture Yusuke as he could do nothing to stop it. Keiko had slipped far away during that fight, breaking down into tears with each hit, each scream, each laugh that Toguro gave, slipping into her own world that contained only her and Yusuke. It was a mixed blessing – she didn't see or hear any more of Toguro's torture, and Kuwabara falling, but she also didn't see Yusuke's final victory against the yokai. She had come to with Yusuke slapping her hard, with the stadium mere minutes away from collapsing and taking them all with it…

Yusuke sat on the bed and frowned. "The fighters there are a lot stronger, but nobody dies. Everyone there appreciates a good fight, and they all said they wanted to do it again. There was only one death at this tournament, it was a guy Kurama went up against."

Keiko's hands flew to her mouth. "Kurama killed someone?"

"No, Kurama beat him fair and square. But afterwards, he killed himself. Kurama doesn't kill unless he absolutely has to, you know that."

She let out a sigh of relief.

Yusuke looked back up at her. "Hey…why don't you use the shower first? I'm gonna do some rearranging so I can actually sleep in the bed, and unpack some stuff. Then you don't need to worry about the hot water running out, or anything like that…"

"Okay…thank you," Keiko said, going down the hall and into the bathroom. "And don't you dare peek, Yusuke!"

"Yeah yeah…"

Yusuke moved the boxes off the bed as he heard the water start running. There were about a dozen of them, and they all weighed a sizeable amount. "Geez mom, nice to know that if there's ever a pet rock shortage we should be just fine," he said to himself as he moved the last box off the bed and onto the stack in the corner.

There were a few folded boxes held against the wall by the stack. Absentmindedly, Yusuke took out a small one and moved over to the dresser.

"Don't need any of these anymore," he thought to himself as he opened the drawers that held all of his old clothing. Socks, shirts, shorts, underwear…wow, _none_ of it would fit him anymore. Maybe Kurama's stepbrother would want them. While he had never met the boy, he knew he was about Yusuke's size from a few years ago.

He neatly pulled the items out of the drawers and stacked them in the box. It took two boxes to pack away all his old clothing, and the drawers finally were completely bare.

He placed his new clothes in the same drawer. Three pairs of socks. Three pairs of boxer shorts, two pairs of jeans. Three shirts. And a light pair of cotton pants he sometimes wore when he slept when the weather was cold. He shook them out, laying them on the edge of the bed, absentmindedly throwing a set of boxers on top of them for his own shower.

That was all he had, besides the clothes on his back. The dresser was pitifully empty. "Guess I need to go shopping with Keiko tomorrow…"

Opening his closet, he also found more. Jeans, shirts, and a few green uniforms. He smiled sadly. "None of this would fit me anymore either…I guess I'll pack them up later…"

Yusuke felt his sadness deepen as he went back to the bed and lay down on it, placing his hands behind his head and propping one leg on the other. This room was where he lived most of his life, both before he was a tantei and after. It was one of the few anchors he had connecting him to reality at times. No matter how many dangerous missions he had gone on, he always found himself back in his bed, in this room, in this city.

Even when he spent the time in the Makai, his dwelling just didn't feel like home. Kurama was his only link back to his home. He saw Hiei from time to time, but the two of them had regrettably grown distant. Yusuke was off exploring Makai, searching for himself, and Hiei was on patrol and living with Mukuro. Sure, he hung out with Chu, and Jin, and the rest of his friends, but…it just wasn't _home._

But now, he was back in the place he started from, before his life as a tantei started. After everything, every close call where he had almost lost his life, he was able to just stare at the ceiling and for a while, forget about it. He was just a punk in high school, ditching classes without a care in the world. He wasn't the savior destined to save the world; he was a sly devil who would figure out a way to copy Keiko's homework before turning it in the following day. He didn't hold Genkai as she died in his arms, he never saw Kuwabara's chest pierced by Toguro; Genkai didn't exist and Kuwabara was a punk that he beat up on three times a week. He didn't know that the grim reaper was an oar riding airhead, and that the one who decided whether he went to Heaven or Hell clenched a pacifier between his teeth.

This was his own little world. Nothing changed. Nothing got in, and every time he left it, he took comfort in the fact that it would be right there waiting for him.

But…not anymore. Being back, laying down here, it just made him feel…uneasy. Why was that?

He sat up, running his hands through his hair and letting out a frustrated sigh.

He knew what the answer was.

He was no longer a carefree punk, not in the same way. Putting all the old clothes away, seeing everything packed up, knowing that they were his possessions, his world, was very hard. While he was gone making a life and a way for himself, he had all but lost the one he had here.

It was almost like he took this little sanctuary for granted, and when he was away, he wasn't able to protect it.

It was enough to almost make him cry.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the water shut off. He heard Keiko step out of the shower and a few minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom and back into his room.

Yusuke sat up straight when she realized she was wearing just the towel.

"K…Keiko…"

"I figured you'd want to use the shower as quickly as possible, while the water's still warm. I can change in here…" she said, blushing and staring at a very suddenly interesting spot on the floor.

Yusuke nodded He stood and grabbed the bundle of clothes, moving into the bathroom. He pointedly avoided Keiko's eyes as he went past her, so they wouldn't see each other blush. The door behind him closed and Keiko was left alone in the room.

She went to where she had set her bag down by Yusuke's bed, and pulled out her own set of sleeping clothes. Her own set was a large shirt, panties, and a set of yellow pants similar to Yusuke's. She dressed quickly, the garments clinging to her skin in the few places she didn't dry off completely.

Yusuke didn't know that she had brought this set of clothes – he had just assumed that she brought another sailor uniform or a set of casual clothes. Well, she thought…this would come as a surprise to him…

Keiko turned down his bed, wrinkling her nose as the dust hit it. It looked like the sheets hadn't been changed in quite a while. Of course, there really was no need to. Atsuko used this room as a guest room when there was company, and it had been quite a while since she had seen any. Making her way to the linen closet past the closed bathroom door, she pulled out a fresh set of white sheets.

A few minutes later, she was done. The sheets were changed, and she shook as much dust out of the comforter as she could. She neatly deposited the dirty linens into the hamper next to the bathroom door where she could hear the water still running.

She also looked around the room, at the various boxes scattered around. A few were taped up, but most were open, and dispersed haphazardly around the room. Yusuke had obviously started to do this task, but he didn't have enough time to finish it.

"Poor guy…coming home to this would be a shock…"

She went to the nearest box and struggled to move it to the side of the room. As she did, the corner caught on one of the floorboards, and it toppled over on its side, spilling out some of its contents.

She cursed to herself under her breath, and started putting the items back in the box. A few mangas, some videos, a baseball…and there was also a picture frame, face down on the ground. When Keiko turned it over, she gasped.

It was a black and white photo of Yusuke, a few years younger. He had a sad, slightly shocked expression on his face, and he was turned looking at the camera over his left shoulder. She recognized this photo…

This was the photo that was on his alter, at his wake. This was the one that everyone had paid tribute to, the one Kuwabara had lashed out at in tears. This was the one she knelt in front of and cried.

So much had happened since that day. Yusuke had died…and a series of events sparked as a result of that single event. Keiko had thought she lost her mind, with everything that had been going on. Her own mother was sick in the hospital, and Yusuke was coming to her in her dreams. She was the reason Atsuko never cremated the body, and she was also the one who gave him the kiss that brought him back to life. The first kiss they ever shared.

Today, she gave him his second.

She clutched the picture to her chest, shaking slightly, remembering all that had happened between them before that day, and everything since then. The last three years had put her through so much that she wished she could forget…but if he was back now, this time, it would really be worth it.

"You okay?" a voice said from the door, making her jump. She looked up and saw Yusuke standing there, wearing his cotton pants. His hair was still damp, and he had the towel slung over his shoulder. His shirtless chest had a few rivulets of sweat and moisture from the steam and shower, and his eyes showed his surprise as he realized what Keiko was wearing.

"Umm…yeah…I'm fine…" she said, lowering her eyes so her bangs covered them.

"What do you have there?" he asked, taking the towel and using it to vigorously dry his wet hair. He knelt down as she showed him the picture.

"Wow…my mother kept that thing?" he said, touching the glass with his fingertips. It was as if the boy in the picture was looking straight at him, still innocent, still pure, before everything happened…

"Hey Keiko…"

"Yes?"

"You can have it, if you want."

"Thank you…" she said, as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Yusuke grabbed the towel she had been wearing earlier and put it over his shoulder, along with his own as he stood up. "I'll be back in a minute," he said as his bare feet barely made a sound.

Keiko moved up to sit on the bed. Yusuke hadn't made a single comment about her state of dress or her intentions to spend the night with him, and she had no idea what his thoughts were on the issue.

She heard water running in the sink and heard Yusuke brushing his teeth. Oh god, I'm such an idiot, I didn't grab mine when I was coming over here, I told my mom I was going to be at a friend's house…

He walked back into the room, turning out the light, leaving the soft, ambient glow of the city lights seeping through the window to be the only illumination.

"Keiko?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"You…you don't have to stay if you don't want to," he finished, turning his head to the side.

"Yusuke…" she laughed. "It's fine…I trust you enough not to do anything…and I've missed you so much…" Her voice cracked on the last word…

"Keiko…" he said, as he sat down on the bed. She practically leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his chest and crying. "Hold me…please…I need to know you're here, I need to know you're real and won't leave me…"

He wrapped his arms around her back and held her tightly, inhaling the scent of her slightly damp hair. He closed his eyes, remembering all this…

That was it…

"What's wrong?" Keiko asked, looking up at him in the pale light. "Aren't you glad to be back?"

"Yeah, I am…but…it's kindof weird, you know? Like I'm dreaming all this…I guess I just need to get used to being back here…"

Keiko choked back a sob. He was back, but he was still so distant…

"It's like…this doesn't feel like home anymore. But it's not like I'm not staying, I just need a little time…"

Keiki nodded into his chest. She understood. She was throwing herself into this dream with reckless abandon, now that he was back. And he was being cautious of it. Maybe…

Maybe that was a good thing. He had changed a lot in the two years he had been gone. She could see it in him.

"I understand, Yusuke…I'll be here as long as it takes," she said.

_That was it._

Yusuke's eyes shot open as the revelation hit him with the subtlety of a train.

_Keiko_ was his anchor, not just his home. She had always been there for him since they were little. They went to school together, laughed together, and cried together. She even stuck with him with all the way through his missions as a tantei when anyone else would have left him long ago. Kurama even told him that she had refrained from any connections with boys with the exception of himself and Kuwabara, and that was strictly on a social basis.

That type of dedication, that type of commitment, Yusuke didn't know could exist in something other than fighting.

Keiko felt his chest shaking ever so slightly. She looked up at him, and saw that he was crying softly.

"Shhh…" she said, bringing her hand up to cup his wet cheek. "I'm here, Yusuke…"

"Keiko…I'm so sorry…" he said, clenching his eyes shut. "I've been so horrible to you. I've never kept my promises, I've never shown how much I've cared for you when you've always been there for me, helping me, supporting me…everything. I…I was just using you as a stepping stone to get to my goals and dreams without even thinking of yours, and it's wrong, it's so wrong that I did that…"

"Shh, shh, shh…" she said, sitting up and pulling him in a tight hug. Yusuke buried his face into her chest as he continued to cry. She felt her shirt getting wet, but she didn't care.

"Yusuke…"

All the hurt that he was feeling for causing her pain was hitting him, finally. "You're the only one I can trust like this, Keiko…"

She ran her hand soothingly up his back. "Well, I'm sure that this would creep out Kuwabara."

Yusuke shook with a laugh as his body instantly went limp, collapsing on top of Keiko. She leaned back to lie on the bed fully, still hugging her Yusuke. His head rested on the center of her chest.

"Keiko…"

"Hm?"

"That…that was the first time I've cried in two years…"

Oh, Yusuke…she hugged him tighter.

He closed his eyes, listening to the steady, slow beat of her heart.

It felt like home.

"What do you want to do tomorrow, Yusuke?" she asked.

"Hm?"

"I brought my uniform, I have school tomorrow."

"Aw shit, I forgot about that…"

"Well, we have a holiday coming up. Tomorrow's my last day for a few. I'll have the next three days off."

"Dang, I wanted to go shopping for some clothes. I know if I go with Kuwabara we'll end up hitting the arcade and the movies and never get anything done…"

"Kuwabara has school too."

"Damnit!" he said with a frustrated sigh. "I couldn't even go if I wanted to, none of my uniforms fit anymore."

"You, willingly go to school?" she said with a laugh that reverberated through Yusuke's head. "You _have_ changed…"

"Don't tell my teachers, I have a reputation to keep," he said as he sat up. "I'm gonna make a phone call, I'll be back in a few minutes."

He moved off of the bed and softly walked down the hall to the phone on the wall. He was out of sight, but Keiko overheard him.

"Hey, sorry for calling so late…yeah, it's me. Everyone okay there? Good to know. Say, listen, do you have school tomorrow? No? Great. How about I meet you around noon tomorrow? I need to do some shopping." He laughed. "Well, don't come then if you think you need to help with the party. Oh, okay then. I'll meet you there at 11:30? Great, I'll buy you a coffee. Thanks a lot!"

She heard the phone hang up and she stood up to turn down the bed. "Who was that?" she asked as Yusuke walked back into the room.

"Kurama. He's going to meet with me at the mall tomorrow and I guess we'll head over to the party from there. No, actually, we'll probably have to run back here to drop my stuff off. Want to meet us here and we can all go over to Genkai's together?"

"Sure!" she said cheerily as she climbed into the bed, with Yusuke following suit. He was on his back. Pulling the comforter over them both, she bent down and gave him another kiss on the lips, which he welcomed as he reached his hand up to cup her face.

After a brief moment, she snuggled up to him and he draped his arm down around her, hugging her.

"It's good to be back, Keiko."

She placed her head on his chest, and started when she didn't hear a heartbeat?

"Yusuke? Is something wrong? You have no heartbeat!"

"Oh, that," he said with a smile. "It's because of my yokai side. My heart doesn't beat as often as it used to. Only a couple times an hour."

"Umm, okay, I guess…" It wasn't like this was the first weird thing about him.

"Relax, Keiko, I'm fine."

They sat there for a while like that. Keiko felt sleep tugging at her eyelids, and she looked up when she felt his breathing become deeper and more regular.

He was fast asleep, with a look of utter peace on his face.

She smiled and rested next to him again. It wasn't long before she followed him into the welcome embrace of slumber.

That night was the soundest either of them had slept in almost three years.

* * *

Hah. No lemon for you. Not yet. Wow, that chapter was a lot longer than I though it would be. Hopefully you liked? I'm not really a fluff writer but when I get into a groove I can go on for hours. I just happened to hit that groove. Please R&R, I'll try to get the next chapter done as soon as possible. 


	3. Roses for a Flower

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Thanks for sticking along with this wonderful little yarn of mine. I know the last chapter was full of wonderful unexpected fluff, here's a little more.

Disclaimer: Blah blah Yu Yu, blah blah don't own, blah blah blah.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Three: Roses for a Flower**

Kurama stuck his head through the door to the back room. "Noriko-san? Are you back here?"

She was sitting at her desk, doing some paperwork and on the phone simultaneously. She looked up and nodded quickly to acknowledge his presence, then went back to the conversation. "Well, it's a big order, we'd need to have some time to gather all the stuff because we don't have it all on hand…"

A little chime sounded from the front of the store, signaling that there was a customer.

He smiled and left the doorframe, walking back towards the counter near the front of the small shop. There was a girl standing there, her back to Kurama as she eyed the beautiful banquets that were arranged near the front of the windows to grab attention.

She was a few inches shorter than Kurama, wearing a traditional green sailor uniform. Her chestnut hair went nearly to her waist, and flowed gently as she angled her head from side to side, getting the best view possible of the various arrangements. He leaned forward on the counter, resting on his elbows. "Can I help you, miss?"

She jumped and turned around towards the one who just spoke. "Umm, yes…" she said. "These arrangements are so beautiful…did you set these up?"

Kurama smiled at her pretty face. Her eyes were green, like his own, and full of wonder at all the flowers around her. "Yes, I did. Horticulture is a hobby of mine," he stated. "Do you like them?"

The girl nodded. "I have to learn how to arrange them like this…"

Kurama laughed inwardly. This wasn't the first time he had been told this, by far. He had held this part time job for a few months, working as a florist in the mall. Since he had started working to make some money, the store had been very successful, tripling its business. Noriko, his boss, was always very impressed by his efforts and knowledge of the subject at hand. While Kurama would never admit it, he cheated and used his yoki on a lot of the plants, making sure they lasted much longer, bloomed much fuller, and were much more beautiful than they would have been normally. Each rose, each carnation, and each lily looked like they had come directly out of a calander photo.

"It's easy, once you get the hang of it. Is there something specific you had in mind, that you were looking for?" he asked, looking at her with his piercing emerald eyes.

"Yes, there is…I was wondering if you had two roses…" she said, turning away slightly from his warm, yet somehow intimidating gaze.

"Certainly," he said. "What color would you like?" He moved behind the counter towards a humidifier case behind it.

"Red is fine…umm, do you have any of the type that haven't bloomed? You know, they have, but, closed?"

"Not a problem," he said. He knelt down out of sight and pulled out two roses in full bloom from a vase resting near the back of the case. The roses glowed slightly as he held them, focusing his yoki, causing them to close up. He smiled and stood up, holding them in his fingers.

"Thank you!" she said, looking at them as he displayed them for her. She reached into her purse. "How much do I owe you?" she asked brightly.

Kurama smiled back at her. "Well, not many people come in asking for a rose in that condition. There are always a few that never seem to bloom fully, it's a shame nobody wants them. You can have them for free," he finished, smiling genuinely at her.

She blushed as she took them, her hand brushing against his. "Really?"

He nodded. "Who are they for?"

She looked down. "I'm visiting my parents tonight, and I haven't seen them in a while…"

Kurama picked up on the sadness in her voice, and spoke quickly to reassure her. "I'm sure they'll love them."

"Well yeah, of course they will, if you were the one who picked them out!" she said again, her eyes practically dancing as she smiled at him.

He laughed in turn. "Well, if you have that much faith in my abilities…"

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate this…" she said. "I feel bad, just taking these for free though…"

"Don't feel that way…it's perfectly alright, I assure you."

"Well, okay…but will you let me make it up to you somehow? Like, I don't know, when's your next break? I'll buy you an ice cream, or a coffee or something like that," she said, with a small pout tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Kurama smiled at her. She was definitely a little different than all the other girls that were vying for his attention…she wasn't blushing, she was making eye contact, and she was being very genuine about repaying the debt. It was...refreshing.

"Unfortunately I already have plans to meet with someone else today," he said. "A good friend of mine has just come home after a long time being away, and we're throwing a party." He looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall.

"Oh," she said, with not nearly as enthusiasm as before.

"I'll be meeting _him_ in about an hour, when I get off," he said, placing a small amount of emphasis on the _him_ part of his speech to remove doubt in her mind. She looked much nicer with a smile, and that spark in her eyes.

It worked. "Some other time then?" she asked, the fire returning to her features.

"Yes, I would love to," Kurama said. And he genuinely meant it.

"Great! I'll see you around!" she said, turning around to leave, placing the roses in her purse so the blossoms stuck out. She made it about half way before she stopped.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't even get your name!"

"Shuuichi. Shuuichi Minamino," he said, with a slight bow. "What's yours?"

"Promise you won't laugh?" she asked.

"Promise."

"Hana Sakamoto," she replied, bowing a little deeper than he did as a sign of respect.

"Certainly an ironic name," he said lightheartedly. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Sakamoto-san."

She laughed. "Please, call me Hana, that makes me feel old! May I call you Shuuichi?"

"I see no harm in that," he said with a smile. This girl had very quickly broken down the formalities between them and Kurama was surprised and amused that banter came so easily to both of them.

"Okay then, Shuuichi, I'll see you around!" Hana waved to him and with a flutter of green skirt and brown hair, she was gone.

Kurama was left standing there, surrounded by the flowers, welcoming the smile that was on his face. A good encounter always left him feeling happy, and it was rare he had them these days, outside of his close circle of friends.

"She was cute," Noriko's voice sounded behind him.

He turned around to see his boss in the hallway, leaning on the doorframe.

"And how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know you want to leave in an hour," she said with a serious expression.

Kurama sweatdropped. "Well, you see, I was going to ask you about that, but you were on the phone…"

She held up her hand, silencing him. "It's okay, I'll be more than happy to let you go. So tell me, how long has it been since you've seen this _friend?_" she asked with a twinkle in her eye that showed she didn't believe Kurama's friend was male.

"I was being truthful when I said I was meeting a friend, and _he_ hasn't been back here in almost three years," he said, once again emphasizing for clarity.

"Well, forgive me for being wrong. Guess I have to let you out early, don't I?" she chuckled.

"I would be very grateful if you did, Noriko-san."

"Now you're making _me_ feel old," she said in a low voice, but with a smile so Kurama knew she was teasing. "We just had an order come in. Kinpatsu is hosting a wedding this weekend and he basically just bought the entire shop and then some." She pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and a lighter, preparing to take her own break. "He specifically requested that _you_ were the one who handled the arrangements. He said he was so impressed with your work that he would pay extra."

"You know I can't accept that, I'm doing my job and something I have a passion for," Kurama replied.

"I know, but he insisted. This leaves a problem…" she sighed.

"Noriko-san?"

"The wedding is in four days. He needs the flowers delivered that morning. I'm giving you the rest of today and the next two days off, but that only leaves one day to fill out the order – you'd work a full shift that day."

"How big is the order?"

Noriko pulled out a sheet of paper she had scribbled on and handed it to Kurama. He took it from her and studied it for a moment.

Wow, he thought. She wasn't exaggerating when she said he practically bought out the shop.

"You'll also need to work more hours after the wedding, because we'll need to restock the shop and place quite a few orders to our suppliers…"

Kurama raised his head. "Will you let me take care of that? I can make sure we have enough for the wedding, and the shop will be back to normal in no time."

"Oh?" she said. "I suppose so, since I'm giving you a few days off. I should know better than to doubt the great Shuuichi Minamino," she finished with a chuckle.

Kurama flushed.

"Oh, don't think I don't know. You're quite a magnet to the ladies, and you're the top student in your school. You think I don't see you in here? I think half the girls that come in here and buy flowers just do it to gawk at you."

Kurama gave a nervous cough. "I didn't ask for all that attention, you understand…"

"That's true. I don't think I've seen you with a single girl except for Keiko, and usually you still have Kuwabara tagging along with you. Keiko must be the luckiest girl in the world, with two casanovas like you with her."

He threw up his hands in protest and laughed. "I assure you, that isn't the case. She is a good friend of Kuwabara and I. The boy I'm meeting, the one who has been away, is her boyfriend."

"Wow. So she's been carrying a torch for him all these years?"

_You have no idea. _"Yes, it's most remarkable."

"Kids these days," she responded with a laugh and turned around. "Since I'm letting you out in an hour, I'm going to take my lunch now, if you don't mind. Mind watching the store while I'm gone?"

"Of course not."

"Oh, Shuuichi?"

"Yes?"

"Try not to give out _too_ many free flowers." Noriko said as she went out the back door.

Kurama's nervous gulp was covered by the sound of the door closing.

* * *

Short chapter here, it was going to be a lot longer, but this was the only break that would have worked. I'm working on chapter four, and decided to introduce an original character. "Hana" is Japanese for "Flower", by the way. 

Thanks for the reviews – unfortunately, I can't see them! I get them to my email but they aren't posting on the site for some reason, same with the story. After 12 hours, Chapter 2 hadn't uploaded, so I deleted the entire story and uploaded it again, and then it finally worked. I have no idea what the problem is but it's not on my end, it's something to do with the server. Is anyone else having this problem?

Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate it!

Kusanagi Mamoru


	4. Off Work Early

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Okay, Chapter 4. I started writing this right at the end of chapter 3 with the intention of it being one long chapter, but I decided to split it up.

Thanks to the few people that have reviewed, I am thankful for it!

A few more chapters before the action starts, hang in there!

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Four: Off Work Early  
**

"Have a good weekend, Shuuichi!" Noriko exclaimed as he undid the ties on his florist apron. "See you on Monday!"

"Thank you, Noriko-san. I'll make sure that order is taken care of, first thing when I get in."

"You better!"

He smiled as he placed the apron on a hook in the back of the locker. Filling the order wouldn't be that much of a problem. He would have to come in a little early, but he would be able to grow the flowers into their beautiful arrangements starting with just the seeds inside their little pots. Was it really a surprise that he didn't pick another line of work?

He really did enjoy this job.

Kurama straightened his outfit, which consisted of a simple long-sleeved white dress shirt, a pair of black slacks, and dress shoes. He always wore this outfit or something quite similar to it at work, giving off a professional air that made it hard not to admire the man when you were dealing with him.

Convinced he looked good as usual, he picked up his backpack and closed the locker. He gave a small wave to Noriko as he walked past the counter and out into the mall.

Immediately he was surrounded by a sea of people doing their midday Friday shopping. Most were there on their lunch break, taking advantages of the different restaurants in the food court. The mall had three floors, and the florist shop in which he worked was on the second level. The food court where he agreed to meet Yusuke was on the third level, in the middle of the mall where the main elevator was.

He slung his backpack over one shoulder and started towards the center of the mall. As an afterthought, he pulled out a cellphone from his pocket and opened it, coming to a stop. It was a Reikai communication device, identical in function to the pocket communicator Yusuke once had, but a little more practical. He had enough people mistaking him for a girl. He didn't need someone seeing him holding what looked like a pink makeup compact.

Kurama connected the device to Yusuke's as he started walking again. It was answered on the third ring.

"You're on the microphone, what's your beef?"

"Yusuke, it's me," Kurama said. "I'm sorry for being a few minutes late, but I had to finish up at work."

"Bring me a flower?" Yusuke asked with a laugh.

"I was saving that for later tonight, actually…" Kurama said. When there was no sound on the other end of the phone, he quickly added, "I was merely joking."

"Had you going there, didn't I?" the former tantei laughed right back.

"Hardly. Are we still meeting in front of the elevator?"

"Yeah, I'm there right now."

"I'm on my way, I'll be there in a few moments," Kurama said, closing the phone and placing it back in his pocket.

"Excuse me sir!" came a voice from a nearby kiosk in the middle. "Are you happy with your cellphone provider?"

Kurama turned towards the stocky man in the booth. "Yes, I am actually. Thank you for asking."

"Who's your provider? I bet we have better reception than they do!"

"I doubt it," he said, smiling inwardly.

"Well, then, I bet our rates will be a lot better than theirs! We have a promotion going on right now with a free phone and no setup fee!"

"And will you be willing to pay the cancellation fee to my current provider?" Kurama asked.

The salesman sweatdropped. "Umm, no, we can't do that…"

"Then I wish you good day," the redhead said, turning around and walking away before the man could say anything else. They certainly were pushy lately…

He strode through the families and groups of friends who were crowding around and finally made it to the center of the mall. The center was the one area where all three floors were open, providing large area about fifty feet across. There was a glass elevator on one side that emptied near the food court, with a few escalators flanking it on either side. With a brisk movement, he made his way to one of the escalators.

Yusuke spotted Kurama's hair from where he was on the third floor, and started to stroll over to where he would eventually emerge from the crowd. It wasn't like him to be late to anything, but he must have had good reason.

Kurama reached the top of the escalator, only to be greeted by a smiling Yusuke. "You know, that joke wasn't very funny, pal."

"I could say the same of yours," Kurama said. "Are we even now?"

"Yep, more than! Where would you like to go? Personally, I don't care…I haven't eaten yet today and the last thing I had was some rock-hard sandwich on the train with Keiko."

"Well, if you haven't satisfied your craving for a double cheeseburger yet, how about we go find a place that serves them?"

"Now we're talking!" Yusuke said with a big grin.

The two friends started to walk down to the food court. "What on today's agenda before we all go meet at Master Genkai's?" Kurama asked his friend as they stopped in front of the only hamburger joint in the court.

"Well, I figured we go shopping for some stuff for me, run back to my place to drop it off, maybe dick around for a few hours. Keiko gets out at three, and I figure we'd all head over to grandma's house from there." He turned to the attendant behind the register. "Yeah, I'll have a double cheeseburger, a large fry, and a Pocari."

"I think that sounds reasonable. Does your mother know you're back yet?"

"Nah, she never showed up last night or this morning. Hey, what do you mean, you don't have a double cheeseburger?" Yusuke said, yelling at the employee.

"I'm sorry, sir, that's not on the menu."

"Who the hell doesn't have a double cheeseburger? Hey dumbass!" he yelled to the man behind the grill. "Just charge me for another one and put two slices of beef on it!"

"Sir," the first one said. "We can't do that."

"Why the hell not? Isn't there a button that looks like a beef patty or a cow somewhere on the register?"

"Because we can't sell the beef patties individually."

"Okay then, I'll buy another burger, and use _that_ one to make a double cheeseburger!" Yusuke said, his fist shaking with how pissed off he was getting. Why couldn't this idiot understand? Probably couldn't figure out how to do it since there _wasn't_ a picture on there.

"You'd still be left with the bun. We can't sell them without the buns because of inventory."

"Ah, for the love of…look, you got one of those _low-carb_ burgers that's the current rage?" he said through clenched teeth. "The lettuce wrapped ones?"

"Y…yes…"

"Okay then. I want one of those, and one normal cheeseburger. I want the low-carb burger wrapped ­_with_ the_ other_ burger. Now, did I say that slowly enough, or do I need to repeat myself?"

Kurama was trying very hard to hold in two things – laughter, and a sweatdrop.

The cook literally threw the meat on the grill, understanding perfectly what Yusuke meant, and what would happen if he _didn't_ understand what Yusuke meant.

Yusuke started to turn back towards Kurama and speak when he heard the employee behind the counter talk again.

"Sir?"

"_What?_" Yusuke yelled, turning in frustration.

"We're out of Pocari."

* * *

"Well, I must say you handled that situation rather well," Kurama said. They were seated at one of the many tables, facing across from each other. Yusuke had just finished ripping open a packet of ketchup for his fries, and squeezed the contents onto the liner protecting the plastic tray. 

"I swear, a guy would starve," Yusuke said as he grabbed his soda and took a long drink from the straw. "Hey, thanks for covering me back there, I owe you again."

Kurama leaned back and took a sip from his own soda. "Actually, you don't. I did as you requested with those _rurimaru_ stones you gave me."

"Oh yeah?" Yusuke asked as he set down his drink.

"Yes. I was able to find a buyer for them." The _rurimaru_ stones were the treasure of Raizen's nation, which had been dissolved at the start of the first Makai tournament. Yusuke had given a handful of them to Kurama to see if he could sell them to any interested parties. It would have done him no good to come back home with no money or capital behind him. "A jewelry maker demanded that I sell them to him, after seeing their brilliance and diamond like strength."

"How much did they go for?" Yusuke asked before he sank his teeth into his long awaited prize.

Kurama coughed and answered his friend's question in a low voice. "About a hundred thousand yen each."

Yusuke choked suddenly on his food, as the answer hit him. That was _a lot _of money. "You're kidding!" he exclaimed.

"No, I'm not. I managed to sell him all six of them, and that came out to just less than six hundred thousand. They would have fetched a higher price, if all of them were flawless without a name carved into them."

Yusuke had barely managed to swallow the bite he had almost sucked down into his lungs.

"I brought a small amount with me today to cover your expenses. The rest is safely stored at my house. I'll have to give it to you later," Kurama said with a small smile, enjoying the amazed look on his friend's face. "I would have given it to you earlier, but even with my abilities, I don't feel comfortable carrying that much money…"

"I had no idea!" Yusuke said. "Jeez, thanks Kurama. I don't know what I would do without you…"

"Just try not to spend it all in one place," the redhead said, closing his eyes and enjoying another sip.

"Oh, yeah…there's a couple of things I wanted to ask you about," Yusuke said, setting down the now half-eaten burger and using a napkin to wipe off his mouth.

"Hm?" Kurama asked.

"It's, well, about you," Yusuke started.

"Go on."

"Okay. I know all about your decision to leave your past behind. I know what happened during that fight with Shigure, and I have to ask you, directly. You've chosen the life you have now, as opposed to going back to Youko Kurama, right?"

Kurama's features darkened for a second, lost in memory. "Yes, that's true."

"What does that do for all the times you've spent in Makai with myself and the others? And I know you said you wanted to enter the tournament again coming up. Don't take this the wrong way, but I guess I'm curious. How does all this stuff fit in to your life and your thinking now?" Yusuke asked, looking directly into his eyes.

Kurama broke the eye contact, staring at the cup in his hands. He didn't answer for a while, until Yusuke broke the silence. "If you don't want to answer, that's okay. I'm sorry if I said anything that was out of line…"

"No, it's not that, I assure you. I was just wondering the best way to answer that question myself…" he said. It was another minute before he finally answered.

"Yusuke, when I was Youko Kurama, I was relentless. I was everything an A-class yokai was supposed to be. There's a reason why my old name was still spoken of in Makai, and why I was called legendary. It was for all the wrong reasons, I realize that now.

"Hiei sometimes insists that he wishes I was the way I used to be. We both went from A-class apparitions to barely having the strength of a D-class."

"What?" Yusuke asked. "I know you once were, but Hiei used to be an A-class?"

Kurama nodded. "Don't tell Hiei I said this, but his jagan eye is not natural."

"So three-eyes was only born with two?"

"Yes. He went to Shigure to ask him to implant the jagan in his forehead, so he would be able to locate the Makai ice village of Koorime, where he came from, and also to find a few other things that were precious to him, like Yukina, his sister."

"Wow, I had no idea…"

"Hiei was frustrated because he had the strength of an A-class and wasn't able to find the village or the other things he desired. The operation drained so much of his yoki that he went back down to D-class levels."

Yusuke was taken aback. "The fact that Hiei would go through something like that just to find his sister…"

"Yes, it speaks volumes about his character…but more to the point of your question. For the longest time, both of us desired to get back to our former power. After all the time spent with you, and all of our cases, we finally acquired it when we faced off against Sensui. Hiei was back to his previous strength, and I was as well."

"Wait a minute, when I saw you in Makai, you were transformed!"

"I took on Youko's power and his appearance, but I still retained my ningen personality. It happens when my yoki builds up to a certain point; my body changes back into that of my former self. If I am pushed even further, I lose my ningen side."

"I thought that's what you wanted."

"It was, for the longest time. But, as I learned the ways of this world, and the love my mother had for me…I gained a sense of morality that I never had when I was Youko. I started to realize just how horrible I had been in my previous life: the lives I took, the acts I committed. I am…ashamed, Yusuke," Kurama finished, with his hair covering his eyes.

"I didn't mean to open up an old wound, Kurama…"

"I'm not finished with the answer yet, that was only part of it. As I grew, and realized these things, I started to feel an unbearable guilt…I felt that my life as a ningen was the manifestation of fate, a way for me pay penance for my moral abhorrence." He gave a small smile. "You were the one that changed that, Yusuke."

"I did?" Yusuke said, completely enthralled by Kurama's explanation.

He nodded. "When we first met, and I was going to give my life to save my mother's…it was also going to be my way of doing something worthwhile to alleviate my sins. If I had given my life, then I would perhaps in some way make up a fraction of them…foolish reasoning, I know. But when I saw your selflessness and neither one of us was taken in exchange for Shiori's life, it made me realize that as long as I tried to live my life as a good person, as long as I acted in an honorable manner…then it was possible to love and live this new life without a sense of guilt."

He stared off into the sea of people walking around, each in their own little world. "This is who I am now, Yusuke. I am Kurama, but I am no longer Youko. I've changed. I've retained all the knowledge, all the tactics, and everything else that made me into that legendary kitsune. At times, I'm even as ruthless as he is, when I need to be…you remember in the cave, when I killed Amanuma?"

How could Yusuke forget? He had never seen his friend so torn up before.

"Yusuke, as Youko, I committed acts that were far beyond that. Were I Youko, I would have killed him in an instant. I would have had no regrets, and no remorse. Were there another way to save him, I probably would have taken his life anyway, merely for being an obstacle," he continued. "Can you understand why I don't want that life anymore? I enjoy Makai, I enjoyed the tournament, and I'm sure I will enjoy the next one, but Ningenkai is my home now. I refused to continue battling Shigure as Youko for that reason. My life does consist of both this one and echoes of my former, but I am _me_, Yusuke. I transformed willingly, and then ceased the transformation, once again of my own free will. I did it to prove to myself that this is the way I really wanted to be, and that Youko no longer controlled me."

Yusuke stared at his friend. That speech had taken a lot out of him. "That's the first time I've ever heard this, Kurama…I guess I found my reasons, but I had no idea so much went into yours…"

Kurama smiled to let his friend know that everything was okay. "Well, I am over as thousand years your superior, Yusuke. I tend to think more than you, after all." he said with a small chuckle.

"Can you still transform?"

He nodded. "My transformation does not happen to increase my strength. It happens because my strength increases."

"You lost me."

"I have the yoki of a B-class apparition in my body as of now but I am capable on drawing much more strength. A ningen body can't seem to be able to withstand the stress of reaching higher levels, so when I push my yoki past B-class levels, my body automatically transforms into my yokai form to contain and wield the additional power. The only time I would willingly transform was when I needed that strength to achieve a goal, or to protect my own life. I imagine that it will happen again if we are faced with another situation that puts our lives in jeapordy."

"Do you think a situation like that could come up?" Yusuke asked, finally starting to eat again.

"I don't know, honestly. I really have no need to become stronger than I am now. I can protect what is important to me, and I have no ambitions of becoming the next king of Makai." He laughed. "Up until the confrontation with Sensui, Kuwabara and myself were on pretty even terms."

"You're kidding. That idiot was as strong as you?"

"Kuwabara did and still does command a tremendous amount of reiki but I believe Reikai standards would rank him as a C-class. It's not just the amount of reiki he possesses, but his ability to control it and his decisiveness in using it. I simply channel it to different areas than he does. But, to his credit, there were many times when he surprised us all," he finished, smiling.

"True enough…and, thanks. Thanks for telling me."

"I think I am more grateful for you listening. This is the first time I've told anyone about this to this extent. I touched on it with Kuwabara at my mother's wedding but not like this."

"I wish I could have made it. It seems she's really happy."

"Yes, and I'm happy for her. Adjusting to having two new members of the family has been an interesting challenge but a welcome one," Kurama said.

"You never discussed this with Hiei at all?"

"No, because Hiei wouldn't understand. For the longest time, he always did think my new attitude towards life was foolish, that I would put others in front of my own ambitions. At the time, he had no priorities to protect like I did. He now has Yukina and Mukuro to provide him an anchor, finally."

"He's grown a little softer, but that seems to be the only growing he's done lately."

"I agree as well, just don't let him hear that," Kurama laughed. "Hiei couldn't understand why after both of us had finally acquired the power we were seeking to regain, how I would be able to be content with being a simple ningen, but he respected my decision. It will simply take some more time for him to understand it."

"Yeah, he's starting to. He's living with Mukuro now and I have a strong feeling that when he said he would cover my back when I was fighting Sensui, it was the first time he had ever done something like that."

"For as long as I've known him, yes, it was. Are you still hungry? We could go for another round but you might not want to spoil your appetite for the party tonight," Kurama said, noticing that Yusuke had finished his food while they were talking.

"I think I'm good. I just need to go shopping now and get some clothes that fit."

"Shall we be off, then?"

"Yeah…oh, there was that second question."

"I forgot, my apologies."

"Kurama…knowing what I now do, how do you want me to refer to you? Do you prefer that I still call you Kurama, or would you like me to call you Shuuichi?"

Kurama was taken aback at the gesture of kindness. Yusuke wanted to respect his friend's wishes.

_This is the reason I choose to live this life._

"Kurama is fine, Yusuke," he said with a laugh. "But only in our collective circle, I would ask. Everyone else knows me as Shuuichi."

Yusuke smiled. "Great. So I guess I should just think of it as a nickname?"

"Exactly."

"I'm glad. That's something I've wanted to ask you for a while, I just could never bring myself around to."

"No worries," he said, as both of them stood up. Yusuke gathered their empty cups and his food wrappers, walking over to the trashcan to dump the tray. Kurama followed alongside him.

"Where would you like to shop first?"

"Well, I gotta get the essentials first. Underwear, socks, et cetera. Hey, why did you call me?" he asked, placing the now empty tray in a rack above the trashcan. "Couldn't you just sense where I was?"

"I don't resort to using that tactic to spy on my friends very often. I'm sure you and Keiko enjoyed the privacy," he said way too innocently to be serious, sticking his hands in his pockets as they headed away from the court and towards the far end of the mall.

Yusuke placed his hand behind his head and laughed nervously. "I swear, nothing happened! We slept, that's all. She changed and went to school from my house this morning."

"If you say so," Kurama replied, enjoying the rise he was getting out of Yusuke.

"Excuse me sir, are you happy with your curren-"

"Piss off, lardass," Yusuke said as they passed the kiosk Kurama made his way by earlier. That ended _that_ quickly.

"Does she know you plan on entering the next tournament?"

"Not exactly…I haven't told her yet," Yusuke said before walking into one of the stores on his left, with Kurama in tow.

"I think it would be wise to tell her soon, it's going to be in a few months. You'll want to get all of your training in before then."

"I don't think she'd handle it too well," Yusuke said, making his way to the back of the store. "Do these look nice?" he said, grabbing a blue shirt off the rack and holding it in front of him to get Kurama's opinion.

"Not your color, I'm afraid. So, your decision has already been made about participating next time?"

"Jin, Chu, and Link would kick my ass if I didn't. And they'd kick my ass if I did, come to think of it…but yeah, I've made up my mind about it for a while now. How about this one?"

"Better, but not quite there. Tell me, why the delay? Why didn't you say something to Keiko last night?"

"Well I mean, I come back, and then wham! I'd have to go off again for a couple of months to do my training. I mean, if _you_ were Keiko, after that speech I overheard on the beach, how would _you_ react?"

"May I ask _you_ a rather serious question this time, Yusuke?" Kurama asked, causing his friend to pause while he had three shirts in his hand, and look at him.

"Are you afraid of going through with the promise you made to her?"

Yusuke was shocked and answered in a very quiet voice. "How did you know about that?"

"She told me about it, at my mother's wedding. She vented for a while, and she did it at me because she knew I had been going back and forth to Makai and that I had seen you a few times. She slapped me one time, did you know that?"

"What?" Yusuke asked, surprised. "She did?"

"Yes. She was accusing me of covering for you, and that I knew something she didn't. She hated me when I wouldn't say anything after she told me of the promise you had made to her. She was so angry she slapped me. It left a red mark on my cheek for two days."

"Oh my God, I don't know what to say," Yusuke said, still in shock that Keiko would do such a thing to her friend.

"She cares a great deal for you, Yusuke. Kuwabara and I have tried to console her as best as we could, but she was always slightly fed up with me, even if she did understand that I was respecting your wishes. I think she still might resent me a little bit. Try this one," he said, plucking a dark red shirt from a rack next to Yusuke.

"Red doesn't look good on _all_ of us, you know."

"Contrary to what you may think, I'm _not_ biased," Kurama said.

"Okay, I'll try it on…Kurama, it's just…argh. It's so damned frustrating."

"Picking a shirt?"

Yusuke made his way to the jeans shelves and looked for his size before continuing.

"No, Keiko…I love her Kurama, you know I do. But I also love what I do in Makai. I'm really looking forward to entering this next tournament to see how good I am. What size jeans did you get me?"

"If the pair you're wearing is one of the ones I bought you, then the measurement would match these here," Kurama said, pointing at the corresponding shelf. "Are you having second thoughts about your promise?"

"Kurama, I do want to marry her, but I'm not even seventeen yet, and neither is she. I didn't come back here because of a promise," he said, grabbing three different colors of jeans from the shelf. "Say, while we're at it, where'd you get that outfit? It does look really sharp and I guess I can't dress like a barbarian all the time."

"Looks like you've finally grown up. I got these clothes at a shop across from here. We can go there next if you like. What exactly do you mean when you say you didn't come back because of a promise?"

"Kurama, when I told her that I would come back in three years and we would get married, I said it because I didn't want to lose her."

"So you weren't sincere in your proposal?"

"No, I was, but I…jeez, give a guy a break…I'm back because I want to see her and I want to be with her, but I guess I want to know if she's happy I'm back because of that stupid promise I made, or if she's so happy because she expects things to be perfect."

"I certainly see your dilemma. But I don't believe I can help you with that, Yusuke. Have you thought about discussing all this with Keiko?"

"I'll have to…can you grab me some socks and other unmentionables while I see if these fit?"

"I'd rather you pick out your own underwear."

"Fine, fine. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Yusuke disappeared into one of the dressing rooms. Kurama took the opportunity to walk around the store, looking at some of the items there. Perhaps there was something his mother or Shuichi would like…

"Excuse me, sir, can I help you?" a young woman asked, gaining his attention.

"I was just looking today, while I wait for my friend," Kurama said with a smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry, well let me know if there's anything I can get you!"

He nodded, and the employee went on her way.

"Damn, Kurama, you _were_ right, this does look good," he heard Yusuke exclaim from the dressing room. Apparently, he ended up liking the blood-red shirt after all.

"Are you almost finished? It's getting late and we don't have much time left to shop before we need to catch the train."

"Yeah, these'll work." Yusuke emerged with half a dozen shirts and a few jeans. Making a beeline for the nearby counter next to the dressing room, he set them down. "I'll be back in a sec, I need to get a few more things," he said, without glancing in Kurama's direction.

Kurama wandered idly through the racks while Yusuke headed for the intimates section. He saw a red silk shirt mixed in with the blue ones, and it perked his interest. With raised eyebrows, he pulled it out and was amazed by what he saw.

It was similar to a Hawaiian shirt in its design, but instead of lei flowers, it was covered in beautiful roses over a web of green vines. There was a large bloom on the back of the shirt when he turned it around. It was breathtaking, and what do you know, he had a thing for roses.

He chuckled, looked at the size tag, and then frowned. "Miss?" he called out, looking up and spotting the woman who tried to help him earlier. She looked around, seeing who was calling for help, smiled, and walked over.

"Yes?" she said in a cheery voice.

"Do you have this shirt in a medium? I really like the design."

"I think it would look awesome on you! Let me run into the back and check!" she said, taking the shirt and speeding off out of sight, somewhere in the direction of the stockroom.

Kurama stayed by the register. _Maybe I'll wear that shirt at the party tonight, if she has it._

Yusuke arrived a few minutes later, a few packages of boxers under one arm, and a mixture of undershirts and socks in the other. "I think we're set," he said, putting them down with the rest of the clothing he had picked out.

"Are you ready?" The man behind the register asked.

"Not exactly," Kurama replied, craning his head towards the back, looking for the girl who was helping him around Yusuke's confused face. And there she was, coming back, holding the shirt.

"Found it!" she said, holding the right size up triumphantly. "You asked for a medium, right?"

"Thank you, that will be perfect," Kurama affirmed as he held the shirt up, giving her a smile that could have melted ice.

"N…no problem," she said, blushing before going off to find another one to help.

Yusuke was trying not to laugh. "Something funny?" Kurama asked.

"I don't know, either the fact that I'm not surprised you picked out that shirt or the way you just made that girl's week," he answered, finally laughing.

"Well, consider this shirt payment for running your errands," Kurama smirked, placing it on the counter.

He paid for the items quickly, and armed with three bags, they left the store. Not much conversation happened while they went to the store across the mall, leaving with another bag with a formal outfit for Yusuke and a new shirt for Kurama.

"We should make it in time," Yusuke said, pulling out his own phone, and prepared to dial Keiko's number as the two of them headed towards the front of the mall where the train station was located.

"Oh, shit, I forgot the stuff under the sink is as hard as a rock," Yusuke said as he slapped his forehead, coming to a stop.

"What did you forget?"

"I need hair gel."

* * *

**Authors Notes**: Okay, some parts of this require explanation. A lot was changed in the last saga from the original Japanese to the dubbed version, and I am going off the original, as noted here. 

In the dub, Yukina was an ice apparition from Reikai. This is not true. She is a demon from the Makai village of Koorime. Koorime is the name of the village, and not the name of a character. Of course this land isn't in Reikai – Hiei didn't have the ability or the permission to travel to Reikai when he was searching for Yukina.

Yusuke says he would come back in three years to marry Keiko. My memory is fuzzy right now, since I don't own the entire Makai saga, but in the dub, Yusuke trained for a year before Raizen passed on, then returned two years after that. I don't think this was the case in the original version, because Yusuke is 14 at the start of the series, and 16 at the end of it, according to the manga. Unless he died the day after his 14th birthday, and the series ended a day before his 17th, I don't see how the timing was possible on this. I'm having Yusuke come back after being gone for two years.

Also, once again, a big thanks to the people who have reviewed. This chapter took a while to get done and ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would be, but I seem to enjoy dialogue right now. A little spoiler for the party – Yusuke confronts Keiko about the next tournament, and to say she doesn't take it well is a big understatement.

TTFN! I'll try to get the next chapter banged out as soon as I can.

Kusanagi


	5. Lightweights

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters. I do, however, claim the rights to my original characters, an exact total of none of which will be featured in this chapter.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares **

**Chapter Five – Lightweights**

"Finally, we made it!" Yusuke said as he reached the base of the stairs that led up to Genkai's temple.

Keiko was with him, having changed into jeans and a light blue sweater before she joined them at Yusuke's house. She still carried her bookbag with her, and her long hair was pulled back and tied with a ribbon that matched the rest of her outfit.

Yusuke had changed into the clothes he had bought from the store, which consisted of a brand new pair of jeans, the dark red shirt Kurama recommended, and his red jacket that he never seemed to travel without. He had nothing else on him. After all, he was the guest of honor, wasn't he? You don't bring anything to your own party.

Kurama had made a few changes to his own outfit at Yusuke's, changing from his dress shirt into the more casual rose-design one. It was unbuttoned, revealing a white undershirt that was tucked into his dress slacks.

"You know, you could have borrowed any of my clothes, if you didn't want to wear slacks," Yusuke said as they started the trek up the stairs.

Kurama readjusted his backpack on his shoulder. "None of your clothes would fit me, I'm afraid."

"Figures, you always did have to dress the nicest."

Kurama laughed as the hike continued.

"You know, it never matters how many times I climb these stupid stairs, I always feel winded when I get to the top," Yusuke said as his breathing grew slightly heavier.

"Perhaps the reiki that emanates from the ground is affecting you, with your new yoki powers," Kurama offered.

"Why would it? It doesn't seem to have an effect on you at all."

"It does. I'm just not as vocal about it as some are," he smiled.

"Hey, Urameshi!" Kuwabara's voice rang down the side of the mountain. Way at the top of the steps, they could see him standing there, one hand cupped next to his mouth, the other one waving frantically.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" Yusuke yelled back up at his friend. "Poor guy's probably starving and I'm holding him up."

Keiko spoke up. "It wouldn't hurt for us to speed it up a little bit, I'm hungry too!"

"Am I the only one who ate earlier?"

"Unless you count the peanuts on the train, then yeah."

Yusuke sighed.

A few minutes later, they reached the top of the stairs. The entire crew was assembled there. Botan and Yukina were wearing matching kimonos, and Kuwabara had his traditional blue uniform on. Shizuru was wearing an outfit almost identical to the one she was wearing yesterday, with the exception of a red scarf.

"Hey everyone!" Yusuke exclaimed. Kuwabara ran over and punched him in the arm.

"You jerk, making all of us wait!"

"Come on, you can't start a party till the one you're throwing it for gets here!"

"It's good to see you again, dimwit," and old, familiar voice said. The group took a step or two back to reveal the aged master, her hands clasped behind her back and looking up towards her former apprentice with a smile.

"Genkai, you old hag!" Yusuke said as he ran over to her. "You haven't aged a day!" he said with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Just shut up and give this old woman a hug," she smirked. Yusuke complied, laughing.

It was good to see her again.

"I take it you've done well for yourself? Kurama's told us a few details but I'd rather hear it from you."

"Well, I'm nowhere near the strongest guy in Makai, but you know what? I'm okay with that. No matter how good you are, there's always someone better!"

"Looks like you learned more than I'd be able to teach you," she said in the tone he had grown so familiar to.

"Training never seems to stop, does it?" Keiko said with a small smile.

"That's right!" Botan added. "Always something to learn, whether it's how to master a new technique or figure out some problem. Homework never ends!"

"Oh man, I can't wait to taste some of the food you guys made!" Kuwabara said, practically drooling.

"Will you _please_ shut up about the food?" Shizuru said. It was obvious that they had been dealing with Kuwabara all day on this issue. "We kicked you out of the kitchen for a reason, you know."

"I would hope you've learned your lesson, after I hit you in the head with my oar," Botan fumed in mock anger.

"He's taken bigger blows to the head than that," Shizuru chimed in.

"No fair!"

"Don't worry Kazuma," Yukina said, calming him down. "We made enough for everyone. I even made those little octopus sausages you like!"

Kuwabara got down on one knee in front of Yukina, his face turning red as he took her hand in both of his. "Thank you so much, it would be an honor to eat food that you've cooked for me."

The interesting thing that Kurama noticed about Botan's oar was that it never made a sound as it sliced through the air. Normally there would be a whistle as it was swung, but there was no sound until it made solid contact with the back of Kuwabara's head, driving it into the ground. A large lump appeared on the back of his head, and for a few seconds, he twitched like a fish out of water.

"I think I killed him." Botan said, as her weapon and main method of transportation disappeared in a flash of light.

"Honestly, Botan, did you have to hit him _that_ hard?" Genkai said.

Kuwabara gave his goofy laugh as he started to regain consciousness.

"Told you he had a hard head," Yusuke said. "After all the times I beat the crap out of him, that should have felt like a mosquito bite."

"Boys." Keiko said with a sigh, as if the word had the power to sum up everything about the situation. It did.

"Let's all go inside, it will just take a second for us to set everything out!" Yukina said as she turned and bounded up into the house to get everything ready. Not seeing any reason to object, the rest of the crew followed suit, kicking off their shoes before heading into the main room.

"Now boys, stay out!" Botan said, sticking her head from the doorway that led to the dining room. She gave Kuwabara a particularly evil glare, causing him to gulp.

There was a large tea kettle placed out on the table, with enough cups for all of them. They all sat down, some cross-legged, some with less dignity as they all started to engage in various small talks. It was a few minutes later that Yusuke noticed Genkai wasn't in the room.

"Where'd grandma go?"

"Can't I be gone for two seconds? Just because I'm in my seventies doesn't mean I'm going to keel over and die the second I get out of sight," she answered, crossing the threshold from the kitchen area into the room where the rest, save Botan, were seated. She had a large bottle in her hands she took her own place at the table.

"I have something for you all," Genkai said. She placed the bottle on the table, causing Shizuru to laugh. "Sake?"

"This stuff is almost as old as I am," the mentor said. "Now, I think it's only fair if you all want to celebrate but you must promise me one thing. I know you're all staying at the compound tonight, and don't tell _anyone_ that I'm doing this."

"All right! You've mellowed out in your old age, Genkai," Yusuke said with a smile.

"Isn't the legal drinking age in Japan twenty?" Botan asked, confused.

"Yes, it is." Kurama said. "But considering that most of us here are much older than that, I can see why Genkai decided to bend the rules."

"Only minors here are my bro and the guest of honor."

"What about Kurama?" Kuwabara asked. "He's not twenty yet!"

"This _body_ isn't twenty yet."

"Borrow some of my years, if it makes you feel better," Genkai said. "Just don't go nuts."

"Hehe, I bet I can drink you under the table, Urameshi!" Kuwabara said.

"You're _so_ on."

"I've never had this type of drink before," Yukina. "What does it do?"

"Some say it reveals the most true form of your personality," Kurama replied.

"It's great, Yukina!" Kuwabara said. "Would you like me to pour you some?"

"And how would _you_ know this, hmm?" Shizuru asked, appearing directly behind her brother with a menacing gaze.

"Like _you_ waited until twenty to try alcohol."

Shizuru punched her brother in the back of the head.

"Ow!" he yelled. "What was that for?"

"If you're going to try and encourage Yukina to drink, then _I'm_ going to sit _right here,_" she said, sitting down on the other side of Kuwabara.

"How do you like that, Kurama was right!" Yusuke said with an evil laugh. "You _do_ have a way with the ladies. Look how much attention you're getting!"

"Humph."

The bottle was passed around as each member poured themselves some of the strong liquid, even Kurama.

"Cheers!" They all shouted as one, before bringing the cups to their lips.

Each person reacted differently. Kuwabara and Yusuke downed the entire contents of their cups in one gulp, while Shizuru, Genkai, and Kurama took a quiet sip. Shizuru welcomed the feeling of the liquor as it slid down her throat. It had been a while since she had a drink with friends, and Kurama partook as a social courtesy. He never did like sake or any type of liquor for that matter, but tonight he would make a small exception, as he sometimes did with family events.

Yukina took an experimental sip, then started when she tasted the strong liquid on her tongue. "Is this some sort of elixir?" she asked.

"Some say there's nothing it can't cure, but those are the idiots," Genkai said. "In small doses it can help one relax, but in large quantities it can turn you into a fool."

"Everyone always did tell me I was an idiot," Yusuke said. "What do you say, Kuwabara? Lets see which one of us is the bigger dumbass!" he exclaimed, holding up the bottle.

"Hell yeah! Say, Kurama, why don't you join us? I've never seen you drink before,"

"I'm afraid I can't. I have someplace to be tomorrow morning," the redhead said. "I'll be leaving later tonight."

"Aw, that's a shame, Kurama. It's been so long since we've all been together like this," Keiko said.

"He's not the only one," Shizuru said. "I have a meeting tomorrow and whether I leave tonight or tomorrow morning, I won't be having much myself," she said, taking another sip.

"So, who's actually spending the night then?" Genkai asked.

Kuwabara, Yukina, Keiko, and Yusuke raised their hands.

"Me too!" Botan yelled from across the house, having overheard the conversation.

"Three girls, two boys, fair enough. Does anyone need a separate room?"

"I don't mind sharing with the girls," Keiko said.

"That's fine with me!" Yukina said. She practically lived at the compound anyway, and Botan stayed there as well when she came to Ningenkai.

"Knowing those two dimwits," Genkai observed, "they'll probably sleep where they fall." Yusuke and Kuwabara were on their fourth sake bomb at this point, with no signs of slowing down.

"Everyone! The food is ready!" came Botan's call from the dining room. Fortunately, nobody was too inebriated to migrate to the new room.

* * *

A few hours later, the party was winding down. The talks had drifted everywhere from the politics of the three worlds to what everyone was doing with their lives, and what their plans were for the future. Yusuke had won the drinking contest with Kuwabara, and the two of them had distended stomachs from all the food they ate. Shizuru and Genkai smoked cigarettes in the corner, while Kurama and Keiko helped Botan clear the table. Yukina had ended up having a rather high tolerance for the alcohol, but her own cheeks were flushed. Yusuke and Kuwabara, on the other hand, were completely shit-faced. 

"Toldja I would beat you at yer shtupid challenge," Yusuke said, his words slurred.

"Yer right, I lost tuyoo again, yurmesh(hic)i."

"So dimwit," Genkai asked with an ever-knowing smirk. "How does it feel to be a winner?"

"Not sho good," he said.

"Yusuke, I swear, if you pass out or throw up I am never going to forgive you for this," Keiko said, coming back into the room and drying her hands on a towel.

"Try regulating your reiki," Kurama offered as he walked in behind Keiko. "It will help you sober up faster."

"Howdja know that, fox-boy?" Kuwabara said, lifting his sluggish head.

"When you live for a thousand years, you learn these things at one time or another."

"You're going to hate yourself tomorrow though," Keiko said, placing her head on Yusuke's shoulder.

"That's why I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow," Yusuke said, as he blinked a few times. "Wow, that _is_ starting to work…"

"I told you it would. You should be fine in a few minutes. Didn't Chu teach you that technique?"

"That crazy guy? Nah, I don't think he ever wants to kill a buzz he has going."

"Unfortunately, I know what you mean."

"What a fine young man you've turned into, Yusuke," Genkai said in a sarcastic tone, but one that had no bite and was meant as a joke. "You've just proved you can hold your liquor better than anyone here."

"You trained me well, what can I say?" Yusuke laughed in response. Kuwabara was trying to sober up as well, but with not nearly as much success as Yusuke.

"Oh, I can't take all the credit. I would say…forty five percent. Kurama, say, oh, seventeen."

"I would think Keiko deserves the most for having to put up with him," Botan said. She was always bubbly, and nobody could tell if the liquor was having any effect on her.

"Okay, lets give her the last forty eight percent then," Yusuke said.

"What about me?" Shizuru said, pouting in mock indignation.

"You and Yukina can have ten percent each of mine," Genkai said, trying not to laugh.

"Yusuke's skills at math still lack, I see. We have a total of one hundred ten percent," Kurama pointed out, enjoying himself.

"Hey, what about me?" Kuwabara protested. "That is so not fair, how come I don't get anything?"

"You're probably that extra ten percent that jumped the shark," Shizuru said, enjoying the look of anguish on her brother's face.

"You can have five percent of mine, Kazuma!" Yukina said, hanging onto his arm.

Kuwabara's face instantly brightened, as much as possible through its red complexion. "You really mean it?"

"Sure!" Yukina said, smiling and tilting her head to the side in that oh-so-cute adorable way she always did.

"I am so…honored by you, Yukina-chan!" he said, practically weeping tears of gratitude as he went to hug her. Shizuru grabbed his ear and pulled him back before he made it, since he would have practically toppled on top of her with how drunk he was.

"That's it. No more alcohol for you. Ever."

"Ever? Or _ever _ever?" Kuwabara asked with emphasis.

"Well, I must say this night has been entertaining, if nothing else," Genkai said, silently watching the entire proceedings.

"I'll be right back," Keiko said, standing up. She was completely sober, and was getting enough amusement from basking in everyone else's radiant glory. She headed off in the direction of the bathroom.

Kurama saw this as an opportunity as he stood up. "I'm going out for a bit of fresh air. Would you care to join me, Yusuke?"

"Huh?"

"A breath of air might do some good."

Yusuke knew Kurama well enough to know that he was hinting at something else.

"Umm, sure, I guess."

A moment later, the two of them were standing outside, listening to the ambient sounds of the nightlife around the compound. The sound of the wind moving through the trees was mixed with the laughter from inside intermittently, and the chirping crickets completed the symphony of the beautiful night. Yusuke was curious as to what Kurama wanted out here, as both of their features were softened in the pale moonlight.

"Tell me, do you still plan on talking to Keiko tonight?" the redhead asked, placing his hands in his pockets and looking up at the countless stars there.

Yusuke suddenly felt pretty uneasy. "Yeah, I do."

Kurama smiled. "Then you might need this," he said, reaching into his hair and pulling out the single red rose he kept there.

"Aw, you _did_ get me a flower!" Yusuke said, revealing he still wasn't completely sobered up yet.

"I told you I would have one for you later tonight. But I would recommend giving that to Keiko," he said with a smirk.

"Thanks. You know, you've really been saving my ass a lot recently," Yusuke said as he turned the thing of beauty in his fingertips, admiring it. It was flawless, even under the moonlight.

"I would do the same for any of my friends, and I know you would to," Kurama said. "Shall we be going back inside? I figured I best give that to you out here, since I see how mercilessly you're ganging up on Kuwabara this evening…"

"It's not like it's my fault he can't hold his liquor," Yusuke said, hiding the rose in his jacket.

"I suppose I can't argue with that…"

Yusuke slid the door open and the two of them rejoined the party. Yusuke sat down next to Keiko again. Kurama, however, did not take a seat.

"I'm afraid this is where I must take my leave," he said, bowing to everyone in the room. Yukina and Botan pouted with an "Awwww!" that only made him laugh.

"I'll go with you," Shizuru said, standing up. "We can head home together, it's getting late and I need to get going myself."

"Heeeee, I just bet you want to get some time alone with him, don't you sis?" Kuwabara said jokingly. Another knock on the head, followed by his fourth lump of the day, ended his train of laughter as he hung his head crying.

"Idiot. Who would protect me if some big strong man decided he wanted to sneak up on me and mug me or something? I feel a lot safer traveling with our resident fox here," she explained to her brother.

"I'd be more than happy to escort you," Kurama said. Kuwabara's house was about a mile away from his, and he enjoyed the walks in the brisk night air.

"That settles that then," she said, grabbing her coat from near the door. "Aren't you going to be cold in that thing?" she asked him, referring to the silk shirt he was wearing.

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "I can use my yoki to keep myself warm."

"I need to get me some of that. Well," Shizuru said, turning towards the others seated on the floor, "it's been a great night. We'll have to do it again sometime."

"Thank you for having us over, Master Genkai," Kurama said, bowing towards their gracious host.

After a round of goodbyes and a final warning from Shizuru ("If I hear about you trying to pull _anything_ funny I _will_ kill you."), the two stepped out the door and slid it shut behind them.

"And with that, I think I'll call it a night too," Genkai said. "You all know where the rooms are. I'll leave the couples to themselves," she finished, rising to her own feet.

"Hey, what about me?" Botan asked, completely unnoticing the fact that Yukina and Keiko were both blushing in response to Genkai's comment.

"Stay here and egg them on, like you always do."

"Who, me?" Botan said, flashing her cat face and feigning innocence. That drew a sigh that ended as a chuckle from the old woman as she headed off to another portion of the large house.

"I don't think that's going to be an issue, Botan," Yukina said. "Kazuma's fast asleep."

It was true. He was on is back, and had quite distanced himself from the waking world.

"Guess he didn't get a hold of that sobering technique," Keiko said as a sweatdrop moved down the back of her head.

"So, should we move him or throw a blanket over him?" Yusuke asked.

"That's not very nice!" Botan scolded.

"He should be fine! Just place a blanket over him and in the morning, if he hasn't moved, we can pull it up over his head," Yusuke joked.

"God, you're impossible at times, you know that?" Keiko asked him.

"I was only kidding! Come on, let's move him…"

A few minutes later, Kuwabara was sleeping peacefully in one of the spare rooms, snoring loudly. The other four shut the door behind them.

Yukina yawned. "I think I'm going to head off to bed too, I'm pretty tired."

"Sounds like an idea," Botan said. "Moving Kuwabara took the last bit of energy I had from this evening."

"He felt like he put on a few pounds," his best friend said. "Hey, while the two of them tuck themselves into bed," he said as he turned towards Keiko, "do you want to go someplace and talk?"

"Like where?"

"How about by the pond next to the shrine where Puu is?" The large spirit beast had taken up permanent residence at the compound, and used one of the old buildings as his nest.

"Okay, I suppose. Let me get a coat, it's chilly out."

As Keiko disappeared down the hall towards the closet to get one of the coats she kept at Genkai's, Yusuke sighed.

_Keiko, how am I going to find the words to tell you what you probably won't want to hear?

* * *

_

That's the end of this chapter! I apologize in advance – it's 6:30 in the morning here, and I was up writing through the night because I was inspired. Maybe some of the concepts and dialogue didn't come out exactly as I intended, but I'll proofread and correct it in a few hours after I get some shuteye, if it needs it ;-)

One more chapter left before we get to the action! Hooray! Thanks for putting up with me so far. And thank you for the reviews. I honestly get as much if not more joy out of reading them than I do from writing the story itself.

Kusanagi


	6. I Can't Say It Back

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Chapter six. I am more coherent while writing this one, though still sick. Thanks for sticking with me so far. Tearjerker/completely unexpected twist in this one.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Without further ado, the next installment.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Six: I Can't Say It Back**

The moon was shining brightly over the compound. A slight breeze was blowing through the trees, causing them to rustle against the sounds of nighttime wildlife.

Yusuke and Keiko were seated on the deck outside of one of the shrines, the one that Puu took residence in. He had asked her outside to talk, and she was curious as to what he wanted to say.

"It's a nice night, isn't it?" Keiko said.

"Yeah, it is," he answered, looking up at the sky. There were a few clouds drifting in front of the moon, but not enough to threaten any rain.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked him.

Yusuke stood up, taking a few steps forward, thinking of how he wanted to start this conversation. He placed his hands in his jacket pockets, and his right hand felt the rose there. He sighed, and pulled it out.

"Here, this is for you." He said, turning towards Keiko, holding the rose nervously.

"Oh, Yusuke," she said as she stood up and took the rose from him. "Thank you…it's so beautiful…"

Keiko's eyes teared up. Yusuke had never given her a flower before. She placed her hands over her heart as she breathed in its amorous scent.

"Look, there's something I need to ask you, Keiko…" Yusuke said. _Just get it over with already, you idiot._

"You remember that promise I made? About how I would come back and we would get married?" he nervously asked, turning away from her.

"Of course I do…" Keiko said to him. "You were adamant about it…"

"I have to know…did you stay single this entire time because of that?" Yusuke asked, obviously struggling for words. "I mean, did you think that I would come back, and everything would be perfect and all that type of stuff?"

Keiko was shocked. Why was he bringing this up? On the other hand, she thought, it's a valid question…the last he had known, she had left him without an answer to his half-hearted proposal. He went to Makai not knowing if she would be carrying a torch for him, and for all he knew, he could have come back and she could have been involved with someone else.

She had wanted to…but somehow, it was an all or nothing promise. Keiko had spent over half her life waiting on Yusuke in some form or another, and in some way, she had determined that this was going to be the last time she had waited for him…but why was he asking her this?

"Yusuke…?" she said, still not comprehending what he was saying.

"Keiko, _please_ don't tell me that's the reason," he stated, turning to look at her.

"Wh…what do you mean?"

"Because…I didn't come back for that promise."

Keiko felt her heart shattering when he said that. A half whispered _why_ slipped from her lips as a few tears blurred her vision.

"When I made that promise, I wasn't thinking clearly…but please, hear me out…"

_Are you taking it back? Are you backing out again, Yusuke? Why do you run from me? Why do I always have to chase you?_

Yusuke walked back over to the deck and said in an exasperated sigh, "I'm not in a position to get married, and neither are you. I mean, we're both sixteen and you're just starting high school. I'm an idiot who's been out of school for two years and there's no way we could make it work, Keiko."

"What are you saying, Yusuke?"

"Don't hold me to that promise, Keiko, at least not right now. It wouldn't be good for either of us," he said as he sat down.

She hung her head as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I know that, but…but is that all you have to say? After all we've been through? And after what you promised? That _was_ the reason I stayed single, Yusuke, because you said you'd come back to me, and I believed you!" she ended in a shout.

Yusuke grimaced. "Keiko, I'm not saying I don't want to be with you, but think about it! How can we get married and make something work?"

"Yusuke, we don't have to get married! I know more than anything that it won't work right now. But I'm happy to have you back and you sound like you're trying to weasel your way out of being with me!"

"Damnit, Keiko, that's not it! I realized that _you_ were the one I wanted to be with. When I was in Makai I was trying to find an answer to that question, I was trying to find myself…"

"I know that, Yusuke. I basically put my life on hold for two years because of that. Don't tell me it was wasted…"

"And what would have happened if I hadn't shown up just then?" Yusuke yelled back, his frustration at the inability to say what he wanted clearly clouding his judgment. "Did you have another guy lined up?"

_How _dare_ you._

"How can you even think that? Is that the real reason you came back, to see if I would? Yusuke, I had a lot of guys that wanted to go out with me _but I stayed single_. I barely so much as glanced as another guy. Do you know how hard that was on me? You were in Makai, fighting, training, doing all this stuff and you could have come back any time you wanted to, but _I_ had to wait for _you_ to do it. I had to wait _again._ I want to be with you too, Yusuke, so why are we fighting?" she yelled.

"I don't know why!" he yelled back at her. "Geez, I'm trying to figure out what to say. I want to be with you but not because of what I said two years ago…_Damnit_ this is hard!"

"What do you want from me, Yusuke?" Keiko said, feeling very drained, her voice heading back to its normal tone. "More time? Because you really don't sound sure of yourself…"

Yusuke hung his head. "No, I…"

"I'm sorry," Keiko said, hanging her own head and moving to sit beside him.

Yusuke gave an uneasy laugh. "Well, it's not like we haven't fought like this before. This is the part where you call me a jerk, I yell back, and we blow off steam for a few days…"

That was true enough. Except this time, it was different…

Keiko thought back to one of the last times she had seen him before he left. He had told her that he had yokai blood seething through his veins, and that he needed to go to Makai to see his ancestor. He said he would take three years, and a lot had changed since then.

Every night, she thought about him. Every night, she would wish he were back. But over time, the longing grew a little dimmer, the thoughts a little more distant. It was almost as if missing him had become a ritual as less and less emotion fueled it. When he came back, it all came back with him.

She threw herself into it, unquestioningly. She believed that things _would_ be perfect when he came back because she hadn't thought of any other possibilities. Sure, she had considered that he wouldn't come back, but she had never thought about what she would do after that, if that was the case. She looked at the young man next to her, seeing how much he had changed.

After all that time apart…she realized she was stupid for thinking things would be the same, that they would pick up exactly where they had left off. Too much had happened to both of them since then. She didn't quite know everything that had happened to Yusuke, but she couldn't look back and say she hadn't changed in the last few years herself.

They were more distant than she thought they would be. This conversation was proving it.

"Yusuke…will we be okay?" she said with a cracked voice.

"I hope so, Keiko…a lot has changed." he sighed.

Keiko thought back to that conversation they had a long time ago. She hadn't wanted him to go, but he insisted that it was something he had needed to do, and her own selflessness wouldn't let her say anything to the contrary. Sure, she dropped some subtle threats, but that was all she could do. Was she just supposed to come right out and tell him he was an idiot and he would lose her for doing it?

"Remember that day, when we sat by the river?" Keiko asked him, breaking the silence.

"Before I left?"

"Yeah. When you said 'Please don't leave me,' I came so close to saying that I loved you. I've never said those words to you before, Yusuke. I almost said it again when you came and saw me at my father's shop. But I didn't…do you know why?"

"No," he said, looking at her with sad eyes.

"Because I would have been selfish. I did feel that way, but I would have been saying it to try and get you to stay."

Yusuke felt horrible at that moment. He had been the selfish one, admitting to himself – and later to Kurama – that he had said what he did to buy some time, and in retrospect, it wasn't the smartest thing to say or the smartest reason for saying it.

He looked down, grabbing a handful of grass out of the ground by his feet and idly ripping it in half as he spoke. "It would have worked, Keiko. I was kind of hoping that you wouldn't say it."

"What?"

"If you had said that to me, I wouldn't have left. I knew I needed to go, but the reason I didn't stay when I had the chance after beating Sensui was because I wanted to see you and everyone else, and I would have never been able to return. But you saw what happened…it bugged me, I couldn't let it go." The grass was torn into quarters, then eighths as he continued. "I was so on the fence at that point it wasn't even funny."

Keiko wished she would have known. She had seen the desire in his eyes, and it was almost like he was asking her to provide an excuse to not go…but why? Was it because he truly felt torn, or was he simply trying to use her as an excuse, and have her make up his mind for him…?

She wanted to believe it was the first reason, but rift between them left room for a seed of doubt to be planted.

"And if I said it," she heard herself say, "I know you wouldn't have been happy. I know you would have been so determined that it wouldn't have mattered what I said…I know you, Yusuke. You would have pissed and moaned every second. Would it have been fair to put yourself through that? Would it have been fair to put _me_ through that?"

Yusuke was taken aback. He knew he deserved a tongue-lashing and he was prepared for one, but he had hoped it wouldn't have been so emotional…at least, not this quickly.

"No, it wouldn't have."

They sat in silence again, neither one of them wanting to continue, both knowing that almost anything they could say at this point would reveal just how far they had grown apart in two years, and in the revealing, cause that gap to widen.

"You're right…now do you see why I'm not good boyfriend or husband material?" Yusuke said as he stood up. "I'm too self centered, I'm an obnoxious asshole, and I end up hurting the one person who would have said she loved me, and I'll probably just do it again in the future."

_Stop making excuses, Yusuke…_

"Why are you scared of me, Yusuke?"

"I'm not scared."

"_Liar!"_ she yelled, loud enough for the nearby wildlife to cease its chattering. "You were always scared when it came to me, and to us…you just seem like you're making excuses and using me _as_ an excuse!"

"Keiko…" Yusuke started to say as he turned to face her, but she cut him off.

"Why are you running from me, Yusuke?" she said, crying.

"I'm not trying to run, Keiko! You know I tackle anything that scares me, and this is the first time I just can't do that! I'm scared of hurting you again…"

"So you're trying to use that as a reason to justify that you don't want to get into a relationship and be an official couple? Because you're scared that I'll be hurt again?"

"Yes! I mean, no, I mean…_damnit!_" he yelled in frustration as he shook his fists.

The wind blew a few leaves by their feet, as Yusuke tried to gain his composure again.

"Keiko, there's another reason I wanted to talk to you about this."

"Go ahead," she simply stated.

"The next Makai tournament is in a few months. I've made up my mind that I'm going to participate. I need to train, and I can't do it here. But…" he said, looking at her, "if you want me to stay, I'll stay."

After a pause, she responded with a question. "Did you make up your mind before you came back to see me?"

"Yes, I did."

_So, last night and yesterday…when you said you were back, and you weren't going anywhere, this was your home…_ Keiko felt her heart go numb at that statement.

She had no way to prepare herself for that answer and the revelation it brought. He had just cut her so deeply, so quickly, that he had sliced through her ability to _feel_. She couldn't cry about it. She couldn't even be angry about it. Her wound froze over, as she finally settled on a hurt resignation.

_You coward. You're using me as an excuse again. Well, fine. I'll let you do it. But you will never use me this way again. I swear…_

Yusuke sensed her demeanor changed when he said that. He knew he had hurt her with that statement, and he sensed what she was thinking…

He moved in to hug her, wrapping his arms around her still form. She made no movement to return it, or place her own arms around him.

_Go ahead. Just use me. That's all you do. But I won't let you do it anymore._

She was clenching the stem of the rose so tightly that the thorns bit into her palm, causing it to bleed slightly.

After a full two minutes, she spoke up. "You can let go of me now."

Yusuke took a step back. "Keiko, what's wrong?"

"Don't ask me that, please…I need some time to think about this, and I think you need some more time to see if being with me is really what you want," she stated without emotion as she turned and started to walk away from him.

_No,_ he thought, as he watched her walk away. _Don't do this to me, Keiko…not like this…don't, Keiko! How can you do this to me?_

"What the hell do you mean, 'being with me is what you really want'?" He said, anger welling inside of him. "Don't you get it? I came back to be with you!"

"And you're turning right back around and running off to Makai again! What's worse is that you _knew_ what you were doing! You _knew_ what this would do to me, and you did it anyway, Yusuke! Do you have _any idea_ how much that hurts me right now?" she said, turning back towards him and shouting each word louder than the last. "After the things you said to me when you came back yesterday, and last night, letting me build my hopes up higher and higher, and then you pull the rug out from under me?"

"I'm telling you that if you _don't_ want me to enter the tournament, then I won't! Why are you so pissed off, I thought that's what you wanted!"

"Do have no idea how cowardly that is, do you? I won't make that decision for you, Yusuke! It would be no different than when you went to Makai in the first place!"

"Then why the hell did I come back if it wasn't to be with you?"

"_Because you're still on the fucking fence, that's why!_" Keiko screamed. She _never_ used profanity and she felt a grim satisfaction when the look of shock registered on his face. _Good, did I finally get through?_

His thoughts were reeling. Was this the same Keiko he grew up with? He put her through a lot of stuff, he'd be the first to admit it now, but he came back to change that! He was even letting her decide whether or not he was going to participate in the tournament, after he had seemingly made up his mind to do it.

"Damnit, Keiko, you know how I feel about you! Doesn't the fact that I care about you, that _I love you_ count for anything?"

Keiko looked into the eyes of the boy that she had once loved with all her heart, the one she had shown so much devotion to over the years. As much as the answer hurt her, it was the truth.

"It…it did," she said in a sad voice. She turned and started to walk away from him.

"Keiko." Yusuke said with more force than he probably should have. "I'm going to say it anyway. I-"

"Don't say it, Yusuke," she said, stopping, trembling. "Just please, don't say it."

"Why?" he asked in hurt confusion. "Because it would have the same effect it would have had on me, that you wouldn't be able to go?"

Keiko's head hung as tears fell freely.

"No."

"Then why?" he demanded with a shout.

She turned towards him, with wet cheeks and the saddest expression Yusuke had ever seen on her face, in all the years they had known each other.

"Because," she said quietly, "I can't say it back."

* * *

Ooooh, I'm evil. But in all honesty, if you were Keiko, wouldn't you be feeling resent for Yusuke after all he put her through? I speak from personal experience that after having someone come back into your life after a two year absence…things just aren't the same. They aren't normal, and they never will be…especially if that person has a history of hurting you, either intentionally, or unintentionally. 

Please review! This chapter came out exactly how I had played it out in my head. And for everyone that's read through the 20,000+ words at this point (holy shit), there will finally be action in the next chapter. I've written enough dialogue and I feel like having Kurama kick some ass, muahahaha.

Next chapter's title: "**Battle in the Graveyard**"

See you soon!


	7. Battle In The Graveyard

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Chapter 7. I've had to rewrite this a few times before I posted it. We finally get into some action in this chapter. I've been looking forward to it

Hopefully I didn't throw anyone too off with that plot twist in the last chapter?

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Hana Sakamoto, however, IS my own character.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares **

**Chapter Seven: Battle in the Graveyard**

"Hey, thanks a lot for walking with me," Shizuru said coolly before she took another drag on her cigarette. The two of them had left the train a few minutes earlier, and they would reach the Kuwabara household in a few more.

"It's my pleasure," Kurama said, walking in step beside her. The two would have definitely looked strange together, with Shizuru a full head taller than him. If anyone would have seen them, they would have probably thought that they were simply enjoying a girl's night out.

"Nice to know I have a body guard with me."

"I doubt anyone would have tried to do anything to us anyway."

"And that's why I'm not worried. All you have to do is just pull that whip out and that would be the end of _that_ argument!" she said with a chuckle.

"Not tonight, I'm afraid. I had a rose earlier, but I gave it to Yusuke."

Shizuru gave him a very strange look out of the corner of her eye.

"It wasn't for him," Kurama said, laughing. "It was so he could give it to Keiko."

"Aha, so that's where you went earlier."

"Yes, it is."

"You think he told her about it?"

"Hm?" Kurama said, raising his eyebrow. "Told her about what?"

"About the next tournament. I'm only assuming he decided to enter. My brother told me about it."

"So, Kuwabara told you what I told him then?" Kurama said, raising his head and closing his eyes as he sighed. "It seems I cannot tell him anything these days…"

"Well, you can't really blame him. I mean, all four of you were pretty tight and then whammo! It's gone almost overnight. You're the closest friend he has now, since Yusuke hasn't been back in two years," Shizuru said as she blew a thin stream of smoke from her lips. "So, is he?"

"I didn't know until earlier today, but yes, I believe he does intend to fight again."

"Ugh. Keiko's not going to take that well…"

"If she takes it at all," Kurama added in a low voice. "Yusuke was certainly not looking forward to it…"

"Kurama," Shizuru said. "He treats her like shit, and you know it. I hate to say it, but she deserves better than him."

He didn't answer, but she _did_ have a point. Even when he was in Makai, Kurama had managed to take time to at least contact his family on the phone.

"I don't wish to take sides in an argument they may have between them. I simply gave Yusuke some advice, and suggestions, but I won't become a mediator."

"Well, looks like we have something else in common," she said with a laugh. "I'm sure those two will be fine. I mean, it's not every girl who would stick through all the wonderful things he put her through."

"That's certainly a…peculiar term to use," Kurama observed.

"Well, worse case scenario, they fight, they break up. Yusuke can live the life he's been living in Makai for the last two years and Keiko really doesn't need to do anything at all except find herself a new man."

"Shizuru, that's horrible."

"And when have you known me to be the eternal optimist?" she teased, letting her cigarette fall to the ground before crushing it beneath her foot.

"It appears we have arrived."

"Yep!" Shizuru said as she yawned. They had come to the cul-de-sac where the Kuwabara house was located. "You gonna be okay?"

"It's only about a mile from here," Kurama said to her. "It's also a very beautiful night and I'm going to enjoy it."

"Okay then," Shizuru said. "Tonight was fun, we'll have to do it again soon."

"I look forward to it, Shizuru-san."

She waved as she turned around, heading towards her house. Kuwabara stuck his hands in his pockets as he idly watched her leave, before continuing on his way.

* * *

Hana Sakamoto stood in the grass, bathed in the pale moonlight. Her windbreaker kept her from the cold, but it still attacked her legs. Her green skirt fluttered around her as the same wind made the only nearby tree rustle. The monoliths around her cast various shadows, invading the sense of tranquility that permeated the grounds on which she stood. 

The wind took pause before changing direction, causing her hair to flow, both behind her, and in front of her face. She made no motion to fix it, or indeed, any indication it was obscuring her vision at all. A few leaves stirred at her feet, caressing them, as if to welcome her.

Her hand clutched the two roses the red-haired boy had given her earlier, from the shop. She had tied a single black ribbon around each of them, as tribute.

"Hi, mom…hello dad."

Her voice was barely a whisper as she knelt down in front of the single marker before her. No raised cross, no large stone, no holy effigy to look over them. Just a single, small granite plaque flush with the ground.

_Kazuo and Mitsuko Sakamoto_

_May you fly on the wings of angels._

She reached out to touch the stone, to feel the texture of the raised words on her fingertips. This was the first time she had been back in a long time...but nothing at a cemetary ever gave indication that time had gone by...the markers didn't change, the grass was always the same, the same flowers were scattered around in memory...

Hana closed her eyes, remembering that day vividly, as she always did when she came here. The sudden light that cut into her vision. The squeal of metal and the piercing screams that followed. Then, the unrelenting embrace of darkness.

The darkness had enveloped her, welcomed her as if she had belonged there all along. But it just as soon rejected her, shoving her back into the realm of the waking and of the light.

There was pain, indescribable pain as she felt her body on fire. She screamed. She tried to fight, but she was strapped down. Her eyes desperately searched for something to latch onto, and only found an ocean of unfamiliar faces, saying words she didn't understand, looking at her in ways she couldn't comprehend. More pain. More confusion. More screaming. Finally, the blackness returned, ensnaring her, dragging her back down.

Her thoughts returned to the present, and when she opened her eyes, the darkness didn't completely dissolve.

_It's nighttime, duh._

"I just wanted to stop by…and tell you how I was doing…" she said. Some part of her felt foolish for speaking like this, but she didn't care.

"I think I'll be able to go to the school I want to go to…the exams are soon and I've been studying really hard for them…"

There was no response.

"I miss you…" she said, her voice cracking, and tears blurring her vision. "Every day…"

It had been almost three years, just before her fourteenth birthday. She had tried to accomplish so much with her second chance at life, she had gone through the necessary therapy, the necessary pain and guilt, but nothing could change the fact that they weren't there to see it.

"Mommy…daddy…" she choked out as she started to openly cry. She knew that they would never hold her again, that they would never talk to her again. She had accepted that, but…it didn't ease the pain at all. She carried on as best as she could, speaking to them as she did when they were still a family.

"My new job is especially hard but the people there are nice and supportive…I just wish it would be easier…aunt Yukie is so hard on me…I want to leave as soon as I save up but it's just so expensive to live on my own," she finished, wiping her tears on the back of her sleeve. She managed to get a hold of herself again, as she placed the two roses down on the cold stone.

"I brought these for you…I hope you like them…"

The wind gusted and a shiver went up her spine, stopping her train of thought and causing her body to tense up. Just as soon as it had come, it was gone, leaving her in the dead silence that followed. "What _was_ that?" she said, to herself this time.

A few more moments passed, and her heart calmed down. Concluding that it was nothing to be concerned about, she stood up, and brushed the grass and earth from her bare knees. She pulled her jacket closer around herself to shield herself from the cold. There was just…nothing more to say.

"I'll come back soon…it was nice talking to you again…"

As she turned to leave, a low, dark laugh reached her ears, causing her blood to freeze instantly.

* * *

_What is that I sense?_

Kurama's eyes went wide.

_Yoki?_

He stopped in his tracks and looked around, using his senses to scan the city. He had felt a strong surge of yoki that hadn't quite dissipated yet…

"Where is it coming from?" he said to himself in tense frustration. One direction felt stronger than the others. It was away from the city, towards the suburbs…

There was no telling how far it was, because he didn't know how strong the source was…

_Yusuke and the others are back at the compound, and Hiei is in Makai…I'm the only one here._

Without another thought, Kurama took off down the street as fast as he could run, his shirt and hair flowing behind him.

* * *

"Who's there?" Hana said, taking a step back and scanning the shadows in front of her with fearful eyes. She _knew_ she heard someone laugh… 

Quicker than a flash, something rushed by her, the wind of its passing causing her to shield herself. Before she could turn around, she heard a voice in front of her that grabbed her attention.

"Not very wise, being in a graveyard at this time of night, dear…"

Its owner stepped out from the shadow of the tree, and his appearance sent chills down her spine.

His build was muscular on his frame and it looked like he was only wearing a loincloth. His skin wasn't a normal color, but under the light, it could have been anywhere from a pale blue to a bright green. Pointed ears framed his narrow face, and the raised veins lacing across his bald head were clearly visible with the miniscule shadows they left. A long naked tail flowed behind him, ending in a shape not unlike a spade.

What scared her the most though, were the fangs of the creature when it smiled. She felt her legs trembling in fear as he opened his arms and his grin grew wider.

"All alone, all by yourself…wouldn't want anything to…_happen_, would we?"

The monster obviously wasn't human. And that realization was enough to make her legs shake.

_Run, you idiot!_

Hana turned, without taking her eyes off of the creature in front of her. She had barely gone two yards before she slammed into something else.

She spun her gaze frontward and upward, into two sets of eyes. Another creature, larger than the first, was blocking her escape route. His skin was very dark, and Hana saw a set of wings filling her peripheral vision. The two sets of eyes took the place of where a normal pair would be located, and this one had two horns that arched towards the sky.

The eyes glowed as this creature grinned, a low laugh emanating from deep within his chest. Hana stepped backwards in pure terror, not knowing what to do.

* * *

Kurama had covered a mile in only five minutes, using his own yoki to increase his speed. The energy felt stronger now as he passed the last set of multi-storied buildings that marked the outskirts of town, and he was sure he was heading in the right direction. 

_I sense three of them…_

The closer he got, the more he was able to discern. One was definitely stronger than the other two…

Kurama wasn't sure what caused his sense of alarm. After all, the Kakai barrier had been dissolved, and yokai and humans were free to traverse between worlds – if they could find the portals that connected them. But three yokai, with that much power…

If he was close, the weaker two were D-class apparitions and the strongest belonged to the C-class. If he still had to cover some distance, then it was possible all the yokai ranked one class higher…

Kurama swerved as he crossed the main four-lane road that officially marked where the city ended, clearing the center divider in a perfectly timed leap. A car had to change direction and slam on its brakes to avoid hitting him, laying on the horn as it did so. Kurama didn't even glance in the direction of the car as he hit the ground running. He reached the other side without further incident, and continued his pace along the sidewalk, the streetlamps providing alternating glows on his tense face.

* * *

Hana continued to inch her way backwards, her mind racing with the horror she was feeling. A third beast had joined the other two, very similar to the second. They had formed a semicircle around her, and she was backing up in the only way she could. 

"Who are you?" she asked in a panicked voice.

"Our names don't matter," the one with the tail said. "All that matters is, we haven't had a taste of human flesh in years and we're hungry…"

Her eyes teared up as her heart felt it was about to burst from her chest. She took another terrified step backwards, and her foot came in contact with one of the low tombstones that were scattered around the grounds. She yelped, and toppled over, her bag flying from her grasp as she fell flat on her back. The dampness of the ground instantly soaked through her fuku, sending tendrils of ice from the skin into her body, threatening to add to the ones already wrapping around her heart.

Her head had fallen to the side, and through her wide eyes, she could see her parents' grave and the two roses that were there. An absurd thought went through her mind at that moment, cutting through everything else…

_Who will leave flowers here now?_

The second monster covered the distance between them in a flash, and she got up to her feet, intending to run. The beast flew in front of her, all its eyes narrowed. In reflex, she screamed and tried to strike him with a slap across the face, but he caught her wrist in his own hand, smiling as he did so, squeezing hard enough to indicate he could break her arm with just a twitch of his own.

He cruelly lifted her clear into the air with that arm, causing the muscles and sinews in her shoulder to scream with pain as she was brought to face level with the creature. Its eyes stared at her struggling form with an amused satisfaction.

"Meat tastes better when it's scared," he said in a low guttural voice, his rotten breath tickling her face. He squeezed her arm tighter, causing Hana to scream in pain again.

* * *

A scream. 

Kurama heard it clearly. It was the scream of a young woman. He saw the hill a few hundred yards in front of him, with its ancient stone walls surrounding its base. Even in this light, he could make out the spires and monuments that stretched towards the heavens…

A cemetery, of all places.

Closing in fast, he could definitely discern the yoki of the three figures now. Two belonged to the upper D-class, possibly lower C, and the third one held almost as much power as a B-class…

Another shriek reached his ears, and this one was laced with pain, a sound he knew all too well…

_Damn…I hope I'm not too late!_

He angled off the sidewalk, running across the grass and through the trees to reach the wall as quickly as possible.

A third shout rang out, but this one was much deeper than the first two, belonging to someone else entirely…it wasn't a human shout, and this one had pained undertones as well…

Kurama saw the wall about fifty yards ahead of him, reaching fifteen feet into the air. There was a tree next to wall, and he saw his chance to get over the obstruction.

He leapt into the air at top speed, grabbing an overhanging branch. Focusing a short, intent burst of his own yoki, the branch flipped skyward at the exact instant he was twisting his body in the air. He let go, and smoothly sailed over the wall, his hair and shirt wildly flying in all directions.

There! Over by the gate, he saw them. Three yokai surrounding a girl that appeared to be dressed in a fuku...but from this distance, he couldn't tell...

He completed the flip in midair, landed in a crouch, and kept running towards them as quickly as he could.

* * *

"That _bitch!_" the beast yelled. There was a small knife stuck one of his right eyes, where Hana had thrust it a few seconds earlier. 

Hana had used the hidden weapon against her captor with her free hand, and in his pain and confusion, he dropped her. She had run the only place she had seen an opening, plucking the two roses off her parents' grave as she did so.

"I'll _kill her!_" he howled in rage.

The other two were trying not to laugh at the third's predicament. "It's your own fault, you know…"

"_Where is she?"_

Hana was terrified, running for everything she was worth. Maybe if she made it to the gate, and towards the road, someone would be there…

_I don't want to die, not like this!_

"Run all you want!" the wounded one shouted. "You'll only die tired!"

The other two yokai moved at blinding speed to cut off her escape route. They now had her boxed in a triangle as she came to a stop, breathing frantically.

"_Stop!"_ she heard a voice yell out nearby. All of them turned to see a fifth figure in the shadows, running towards them.

* * *

Kurama saw the young girl that was the obvious target of the three yokai. He ran straight to her, skidding to a stop in front of her, leaving only a few inches between them. He faced the two uninjured yokai. 

"Are you hurt?" he whispered to her over his shoulder. He was panting slightly and his words were rushed.

"Y…yes," Hana said. Her arm was in a lot of pain where it had been twisted, and although it wasn't broken, it was practically useless at this point.

"Where?"

"My arm…"

Kurama's face set in a mask of grim determination as he gave a quick glance around his surroundings. The three yokai kept their distance of several yards. With a tight ironic smile, he realized that he no longer had the rose he normally kept in his hair…

_No good deed goes unpunished…_

Hana looked at the youth, suddenly realizing that she knew him…

"Shuuichi?" she asked with an astonished voice, still quavering with the terror running through her.

_This is all just a bad dream. It has to be. Monsters are attacking me and the flower boy from the mall shows up._ The pain in her shoulder was telling her otherwise, however.

Kurama turned his head to get a good look at her, and also to keep an eye on the yokai behind them. With a shock, he remembered seeing her earlier that day…this was the girl whom he gave the roses to, at the mall. It only took a fraction of a second to remember her name.

"Hana. Stay close."

She crouched behind him, placing her trembling hands on his shoulders. What was he doing here? You idiot, she thought, now you're going to die too…

"What is the meaning of this?" Kurama demanded in a loud, clear voice. "What business do you have here?"

This only made Hana confused. Great, now he's not normal either?

"We hunger for flesh," the unwounded horned beast said. "And now, we have two meals instead of one…"

"You are in direct violation of Enki-sama and Makai law. Leave here and return to Makai at once."

"Who do you think you are?" the yokai demanded.

"I am Kurama, one of Enki-sama's advisors and former second-in-command to Yomi," Kurama said in a harsh voice.

Hana wondered as she saw the interaction between them all. Kurama? Wasn't his name Shuuichi? Oh god, I must be losing it…

"You can't order us around. You have no authority in this world."

"Leave now, or I will be forced to act," Kurama said, standing up straight, bringing some of his own yoki to the surface so their adversaries could sense that he was no ordinary human.

This elected a laugh from all three of the yokai. The wounded one yelled in a furious tone. "Stupid ningen! I'll tear you apart myself!"

Kurama's senses were at their peak. He looked around, scanning the nearby graves. There were several roses scattered around them, but they were all beyond the range of their captivity. He knew he would be able to reach one, but he couldn't leave Hana's side if they were rushed.

His nose picked up on it. It was close…he looked to his left shoulder, where Hana had balled her fist in fear.

There they were, clenched in her good hand. The exact same ones he had given her earlier.

"Hana, listen to me," Kurama said, placing his hands behind his back down by his waist.

She nodded, hard enough to cause Kurama's frame to shake slightly. "What should we do?" she asked in a small, scared voice.

"The roses…put one in each of my hands."

She truly _had_ lost it. She was about to be killed, and she had just heard this boy she had met for the first time earlier today ask her asked her for roses. Part of her felt like laughing, but her terror still overpowered that emotion. She couldn't believe this!

"What are you going to do, use them as a peace offering?" she whispered to him.

"Something like that," he smiled grimly. "Just do it, and when they charge us, get down and stay down. Just trust me, Hana…"

Something in his calm demeanor caused her to believe him, for some strange reason. She placed the roses in his hands, and he quickly moved to pinch them between his fingers and thumbs.

"Kill them!" the blue yokai with the tail said. The two larger horned yokai leapt at them, one from the front, and one from the rear.

Hana shrieked and fell to the ground, covering her head with her hands.

_This is it, I'm going to die out here!_

Kurama leapt straight up into the air, surging the yoki within him to the ends of his hands and into the two roses. Their petals exploded from their buds as each stem grew instantly in length and girth, to a full twelve feet long as he spun his arms.

_"Dual Rose Whiplash!"_ he shouted, turning in midair and snapping both whips much faster than the eye could see. In a blur, Kurama caused the razor sharp ends of them to dance wildly, first around, then through the two yokai before they had covered half the distance between them. Kurama swung his arms around a few more times, alternating which whip hit which yokai, neatly slicing them into about a dozen pieces each that rained around the two of them, crashing into the ground with heavy, wet thuds.

He landed nimbly on the ground, one whip in each hand, curling on either side of him near his feet. Hana looked up from her crouch, and was amazed at the chunks of flesh around her. From her skewed perspective, she looked up at Shuuichi, seeing his emotionless face as he somehow held two green thorned whips in his hands…

_Did he just do that with the roses?_

"I will offer you one last chance. Leave."

The blue yokai took a step back, and then started to laugh. "So, you can control plants, I see…"

"Will you do as I say?" Kurama said, then smoke started to reach his nostrils. He looked down at the two whips, which were covered in Yokai blood. They were dissolving.

He looked around towards the other blood stained patches on the earth. Indeed, they were all smoking, the blood acting like the strongest acid as it burned away all it had came in contact with. The grass beneath the yokai remnants melted away, leaving smoldering blackened earth. A few holes appeared in his shirt.

Kurama's eyes narrowed as the whips practically disintegrated in his hands, throwing the yard long remnants of them away from himself before they dissolved completely. He then removed the ruined shirt, throwing it to the side, leaving him in just his undershirt as his pale arms glowed under the moonlight.

"Now what?" The last remaining yokai laughed. Kurama relaxed his stance, and smirked.

"You believe I can no longer attack you, now that I have no weapons? I could just as easily grab another rose from one of the other graves here."

"Move away from the girl, and I'll kill her."

Hana was seated on the ground now, crab-walking her way a few feet away from Kurama. She was still terrified…maybe this boy was a monster, and he wanted to kill her himself! Normal people couldn't do what he just did!

"Hana. Relax. Stay near me. I won't hurt you," the redhead spoke softly again, giving a reassuring glance towards her form. She stopped retreating and looked up at him. He then smirked at the yokai as he raised his voice. "Tell me what you're standing on…"

With realization, the blue yokai looked down at his feet.

Grass.

Kurama shouted, striking the ground with his palm as his body flashed red. The yokai yelled and turned to run, but it was too late. All the grass within a three-foot radius of where he was standing tore itself out of the ground, transforming into razor sharp daggers. They ripped through his body and out the other side in every direction, turning the majority of his being into a fine, bloody mist. What survived this assault fell over into the ground in a heap, and then dissolved into a black smoke, similar to the other two.

"Worthless trash," he said as he stood up, regaining his composure. He turned to where Hana was still shaking on the ground.

He reached out to her to help her up, but she scooted backwards from him, shaking her head.

"Who are you?" she asked in fear. "Are you the Shuuichi I met earlier? Today, at the mall?"

"Yes," he said soothingly, kneeling and lowering his hand. "We talked, and I gave you the two roses. You said you were going to pay me back by buying me a coffee…"

Hana started to calm down, but still had her guard up.

"Hana, it's okay. They're dead. They won't hurt you. _I_ won't hurt you."

Hana nodded weakly as she sat up straighter, pushing her skirt back down, which had ridden up rather high on her thighs on her effort to get away.

"Let me see your arm."

She held out her wounded arm, causing the pain in her shoulder to flare up again. Kurama didn't have any herbs or seeds on him, so he settled for flexing it experimentally. She gave a slight gasp of pain.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"N…no…"

"Can you stand?"

Hana shakily got to her feet, using her good arm to try and move her disheveled hair out of her eyes. "What just happened?"

He had no idea how to answer her. How did one inform another that they had just been targeted randomly by a yokai?

"Shuuichi?" she said in a small voice.

He couldn't leave her out here like this. He would deal with the repercussions later, but at this point, the first issue was to get her safe.

"You were attacked by yokai…I stepped in to stop them. I wish I got here sooner, so you weren't injured…" he said, feeling a pang of regret as her arm was slightly crooked from the pain running through it.

Hana's adrenaline slowly started to be purged from her body, but the exhaustion from the entire ordeal was getting ready to hit her. "I don't…I don't feel safe, going home tonight…"

"It's okay…I'll find a safe place for you. Just please trust me…"

She nodded. Kurama reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing quickly. It rang several times, and Hana heard a woman answer on the other end.

* * *

"Hello?" 

_"Shizuru,"_ Kurama's voice came through. _"I need assistance."_

Shizuru gripped the phone with both hands, focusing intently so as not to miss what he was trying to say. There was some static on the line.

"What happened? I sensed something earlier…was that you?"

_"Partly,"_ he said. _"There was a yokai attack in the cemetery outside of town and someone I know was injured."_

"How badly is he hurt?"Shizuru said, with concern. What were yokai doing here?

_"Not badly, but she needs a safe place to sleep tonight. Can you take the car and meet us here? Since Kuwabara is still at Master Genkai's, I was hoping you could look after her tonight, until tomorrow…"_

She nodded, then remembered he wasn't able to see the gesture. "Yeah, I can do that…what else do I need to bring?"

_"Some pain medication and a sling, if you have one,"_ Kurama said, barely discernable through the static.

"Okay, I can be there by the front gate in less than ten minutes," she affirmed, trying to remember where they kept the sling.

_"Thank you, Shizuru," _Kurama said, breaking the connection.

Shizuru hung up the phone, and ran upstairs to the bathroom where the medicine cabinet was. She opened it, glancing quickly at the bottles there before grabbing one, shoving it in her pocket.

She then moved down to open the cabinets underneath the sink, searching for the second item. Within a minute, she found it, nestled in the back between bottles of various sizes. It was still in its box. Shizuru grabbed the sling and cradled it with her arm, as it was too large to fit in a pocket. Turns out her brother never ended up needing it…

Shizuru nimbly descended the stairs, and grabbed her keys off the kitchen table while passing through. She opened the front door with a sense of urgency, barely taking the time to turn the lock on the doorknob before she closed it on her way out.

* * *

Whew, that was a long one. I have to say, that Juno Reactor is _great_ music to write a fight/tense scene to. I was listening to Mona Lisa Overdrive while writing this, and it took longer than I thought, but hopefully it was worth the wait! 

I might not be able to update as often as I would like to, since I just got a new job in sales that I start training for soon. I'm getting a firmer idea of where I want this story to go, and might change the summary accordingly…

I would like to thank my reviewers once again, and also **ThePastIsThePast **for adding this story to his/her C2. I feel honored that my first fic is being regarded in such a way.

Until the next update, which hopefully should be soon! I have three little chapters I want to write that all take place at the same time, so it will come down to what order I decide to write them in.

Ta ta for now!

Kusanagi


	8. Frame Of Pieces

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

This is a short chapter, going to introduce some more characters here. I really liked writing the last chapter. What do you guys think?

As always, reviews are appreciated, since I haven't had one since Chapter 3 ;-)

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Eight: Frame of Pieces**

"How much longer do we have to wait?" a young female voice asked through the darkness.

"I agree," an older male stated. "We know the identity of the target. What are we waiting for?"

"Patience," a sultry voice said. "The time isn't quite right yet."

"I don't understand, Ryominaka!" the first voice whined. "We found out that he's the one we're after, all we need is some of his blood!"

"You wouldn't be able to control the _jigen-to_ anyways, Otoyo," the one named Ryominaka said.

"Humph."

"All the more reason we should act _now_ so she has the time to use it."

Ryominaka stepped into the light, casting a shadow on the perfect circle that illuminated the floor.

The blue tunic she was wearing provided a stark contrast to her black hair, with streaks of silver mixed in with the tresses. Her bangs and high, distinguished cheekbones framed the glow of her amber eyes. A luxurious tail made its way out of a hole in the back of her garments, its salt-and-peppered fur swaying back and forth gently with each step or movement her body made. Her ears, perched high on her head, swiveled slightly toward the one who had just made that statement.

"We will move when the timing is right," her voice flowed out, giving a hint of the strength that lay under the surface.

Otoyo stepped into the light, across from Ryominaka. She wore an outfit similar in style to the older woman, yet she had added her own flair to it. Two golden bands adorned its front, moving down to form two petal shapes at the bottom of the garment. Her green hair was braided back behind her, pulled tight against her scalp, a few stray strands falling forward. A slight scale pattern was visible on the back of her arms and neck, crawling forward when it reached her face, ending in sharp points on her cheeks. She looked much younger, with the appearance of a fourteen year-old girl.

"There's gonna be no way we can get everything ready in time!" she said. "Come on, you know we have to have things ready by the time the tournament rolls around!"

"I know that," the elder replied. "But if you go now, you'll be walking right into suicidal situation. The target is surrounded by friends at the moment, and I doubt you'd even be able to get into the front door."

"I'm not _that_ weak, you know," Otoyo said with a pout.

"Against the ones I'm talking about? Yes. You are."

"Yeah right. Like I can't take out a stupid little ningen? Who the heck is he with right now that would make me worried anyway?"

"Just trust me for now. We'll strike soon, within the next couple of days."

"And what exactly will we do afterwards?" the second voice said, who's owner did not reveal himself. "Can you assure us you've thought this far ahead?"

Ryominaka laughed, a light, cheerful sound. "I have…they _will_ be revived, and then, when every yokai has had their backs broken by their own doing, only then will we emerge as the _true_ rulers of Makai."

She turned to Otoyo, and smiled. "You're key to this whole operation. Relax, get some sleep before we move. You _must_ be prepared, and you _must_ not fail, or our whole plan is finished."

"I gotcha," the young yokai said, placing her hands behind her head as she stretched. "What else did you want me for, or are we done here?"

"Go. Do what you want. I'll call on you soon enough."

Otoyo took off, her footsteps sounding as she moved beyond the reach of the light. There was the sound of a door closing, then silence.

"Do you feel safe, entrusting this plan to someone like her?" the male asked lazily.

"I do. Young ones are so impressionable, aren't they?"

He laughed. "I hate to think of what you would have been like at that age…"

"That was a long, long time ago."

"You look none the worse for wear."

"Drop this," she said in a firm voice.

"Fine," he said, and she heard him yawn with her sensitive hearing. "I'm going to sleep. Some of us can't spend all day plotting, you know."

_Idiot,_ she thought as the door opened, then closed again. She closed her eyes and spoke to herself, clenching her fist.

_Otoyo cannot fail, not when we're this close to pulling this off, not when we've been given this perfect opportunity…_

She chuckled to herself. This tournament was the most fortunate thing that had ever happened to them…and it would be shown how fruitful it could be to the opportunists who wanted to make the most of it.

_Soon, I'll have what you dreamed of, but instead, I'll have it _all

A smile made its way on her face, as she mentally read the top name of the list in her mind. It contained the people she would make pay, both before and after she acquired her goal…

"Soon, Yomi."

* * *

No, before you ask, Ryominaka is NOT a kitsune yokai. As always, reviews and comments are appreciated :-) 


	9. Sanctuary

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Sorry for how short the last chapter was. I'll give you guys a longer one, I promise.

Disclaimer: I **do **own Yu Yu Hakusho and everything pertaining to it.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Nine: Sanctuary**

Kurama closed his phone, and turned to look at Hana. "I have a friend on the way. She'll provide you a place to stay tonight, until you recuperate. Is that alright?"

Hana looked at the boy in front of her. "Y…yes…"

"Do you need help?" he said, seeing her arm hang loosely at her side. "I don't think anything is broken or torn but you should take it easy for a day or two."

She shook her head as she got to her feet, unsteadily. Kurama reached out and placed her uninjured arm around his shoulder, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"So…horticulture is a hobby of yours, right?" she said with a weak smile.

He chuckled, remembering that he had said that a few hours ago. "Yes, it is…"

"Well, it's no wonder the things you do with those arrangements if you're able to do _that_," she said as they started to make their way to the gate.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about what you saw tonight," he said as they walked together.

"I…don't think anyone would believe what happened…and I don't think _I _believe it completely either…"

She stopped suddenly, causing them both to stumble. He craned his neck to look up at her. "Something wrong?"

"My knife…" she said, turning around, freeing herself from him. "It's still back there…"

"Stay still, let me get it for you."

Kurama walked swiftly back to the scene of battle, looking around for the object among the charred ground. When a small glint caught his eye, he knew he found what he was looking for.

"Is this it, here?"

"Yeah…" Hana replied. "Thanks…"

Kurama picked the object up off the ground and studied it. It was a small dagger, about four inches long, over half of which was the blade. The hilt had a loop of steel to slip a finger through, giving the user a comfortable and secure hold on the weapon.

"I suppose it's a good thing you had this," he said as he walked back over and handed it to her.

She lifted the right side of her skirt, revealing her thigh. Two thirds of the way to the top, he caught a glimpse of a leather band and sheath, and she placed the small blade back into its home before lowering and smoothing her skirt out again.

His eyebrow was raised when she turned to look at him.

"It was my father's…" she said, turning her face away from him. "I've…had to use it before, and I feel safer if it's with me…"

He couldn't blame her. He carried around his rose (usually) for the very same reason. Crime wasn't a serious problem, but you couldn't argue that with the few people who actually fell victim to it.

"It's alright. It actually helped buy some time, it seems."

"Thank you for saving me…Shuuichi? Or what did the other one call you…Kurama?"

Hana was still kind of bewildered by the whole ordeal. She had just been thrust into a very unfamiliar situation this evening, and she did the only thing she could do.

She decided to go with it. After all, he saved her from whatever…those things, if they were really yokai…were, and he was offering her a place to rest for the evening.

_This is probably another dream, _she said. _It's not like nightmares are anything new to me. I know how this will work. I'll wake up in my own bed, and I'll find out I probably slept on my arm wrong. That's why it hurts so much now. Yeah. That's all it is._

But what if this whole thing wasn't quite a dream?

_Oh come on girl, it has to be. Yokai don't exist, not in a graveyard late at night and boys with red hair who work at the flower store can't turn roses into whips or make grass impale somebody. It just can't happen. You're attacked in a graveyard, and some hero rescues you, and it's someone you met earlier today. Do you have any idea how cliché that is?_

The redhead looked at her, wondering what she was thinking. She chuckled slightly.

"This is just…unreal…"

Kurama sighed. "Yes, it is…" How was he going to resolve this issue?

Headlights appeared at the gate as he heard a car approaching. He recognized the shape the beams cast as Shizuru's, and looked back towards Hana.

"That's the one we're waiting for."

Hana nodded, and allowed him to help support her again. A car door slammed, causing her to look towards the gate as well. A tall woman with long hair was jogging towards them.

"You two okay?" she called as she closed the last bit of distance between them.

"I'm fine," Kurama said "But unfortunately, her shoulder is injured…"

The tall woman nodded. "I'm Shizuru Kuwabara…I wish I could introduce myself under circumstances that didn't quite suck so much…"

Hana looked at the woman, and took in the curt, direct manner she seemed to give off.

"Hana Sakamoto. Can I put off shaking your hand for a while?" she said, causing Shizuru to smile in surprise.

"Well, she's taking this well, isn't she, Ku…Shuuichi?"

"What was all that with 'Kurama', just now?"

Kurama grimaced slightly, and turned towards a confused Hana. "Please, call me Shuuichi. Kurama is another name only known to a small number of people…"

"Yet, somehow," she said with a smile, "it seems to be widely known to those types of monsters you killed? An advisor to Enki-sama?" _Since this was just a dream, she was going to enjoy this as much as possible._

"You certainly don't miss much, do you?" he said with a nervous laugh.

Shizuru obviously saw how deep of a hole they were digging for themselves with this girl, but her immediate concern was treating her injuries. "Can we talk about this later? We need to get you in a sling so you can rest…"

Hana nodded, as she leaned onto Shuuichi again. _Wohoo, hot guy holding me. This nightmare isn't so bad after all…_

The three of them made their way back to Shizuru's car.

* * *

Kurama and Shizuru were seated at the table in the kitchen. The shower upstairs was running, since Hana beat a hasty retreat there as soon as they came in the door.

"That was certainly interesting," Shizuru said. "How'd you know her?"

"We met earlier today. No, wait, technically it would have been yesterday," he answered her, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I met her at the mall, she stopped in the shop, looking for something for her parents."

"Poor kid…did you have any idea?"

"No, I didn't. She seemed so cheerful earlier today, I never would have guessed that they were gone."

"She seems like a nice enough girl. It's a good thing you got there in time to save her," Shizuru said, standing up and walking towards the refrigerator. "You want something?"

"A water, if you have one," Kurama answered.

Shizuru tossed him a bottle, taking a stronger drink for herself before closing the door. "I don't get it," she said, breaking the seal on the container. "I thought that the patrols in Makai were keeping yokai out of this world."

"I would think so too. But unfortunately, the losers of the last tournament are greatly outnumbered by those who aren't too enthused with Enki-sama's rule."

"You've sensed them too?"

He nodded. There were vague traces of yoki every now and then, but they usually came from very weak yokai that just were trying to make a way for themselves in Ningenkai. "Not all of them are bad. I know a couple of them myself. Tonight, however…yoki of that strength is a very rare occurrence in Ningenkai. They're usually stopped by the patrols."

"Aren't Hiei and Mukuro part of that group?"

Kurama nodded before taking a sip of his water. "I don't know what to do regarding Hana."

Shizuru sat down again. "Her arm was tweaked really bad. She can stay here tonight, if she doesn't mind sleeping in my brother's room."

He laughed slightly. "No, I don't think he'll be needing it tonight, given the rate he was going when we left Master Genkai's…"

"What do you plan to do tomorrow?"

He looked down at the ground. "I have an appointment tomorrow, it's an important one. Enki-sama has called a council. I'll have to mention this to him."

She nodded. "What about Hana?"

"It seems she was the victim of an unfortunate attack. I don't sense any reiki in her, certainly no yoki, so she would not be a target of opportunity."

"She can stay as long as she needs to, but it would be quite awkward if Kazuma came home and saw an attractive girl in his bed."

"I believe she will be gone tomorrow, one way or another," he said, biting his lip.

"I don't like it when your voice drops like that. It scares me," she noted.

"I'll be gone in Makai tomorrow. I can get some healing herbs while I'm there to take care of her injuries. As far as I know, Enki-sama has summoned the former rulers of Makai, and their second-in-commands as well. Hiei should be there. I'll try to get him to come back with me."

"You're going to have him erase her mind? That seems excessive, Kurama," Shizuru said in a shocked voice.

"I can't say I'm thrilled at the prospect. But I think it would be best if she didn't remember what happened tonight."

Shizuru thought for a moment, hearing the water rushing through the pipes as the object of their discussion was still bathing upstairs. After a short time, she addressed Kurama in a softer voice. "Maybe she should."

This time it was Kurama's turn to register a look of confusion. "What purpose would that serve?"

"Well…I was thinking of what Genkai said earlier. About using the compound to create a bridge between the two worlds. I think Hana could handle knowing the truth. Well, maybe not all if it, but she deserves a shot."

Kurama was already shaking his head. "Not with the level of unrest in Makai right now. Until this is all settled, I would think it wise that less people know about what's going on."

"That's the problem, Kurama. Every ningen with a sense of spiritual awareness already knows about Makai and Reikai. Think about it. I can probably think of a few dozen that we've met over the years off the top of my head. On the other hand, every yokai knows about Ningenkai. This coexistence thing has to be a two way street."

She saw the doubt on Kurama's face. "I suppose you have a point…"

"Look, I'm not suggesting that we release a news report or hold a press conference or anything like that. But there are a lot of humans here who would be able to handle the truth. She seems strong enough to be one of them, from what I've seen."

He smiled. "You're the only one I can never win an argument with, Shizuru."

"Why do you think we get along so well?" she smirked.

"She could still be delusional about all of this. She did say she thinks this is all a dream…"

"Well, let's wait until tomorrow, when she wakes up and realizes that it isn't. If she handles it well, you heal her. If she doesn't, then have Hiei do his thing."

"You certainly have every angle covered."

"Just give it a chance, okay? This whole progression thing has to start somewhere."

Kurama pondered it for a moment, then nodded. "Very well."

They heard the shower shut off, and both of them went silent.

* * *

Hana pulled back the curtain with her good arm, trying to use her injured one as little as possible. The shock and adrenaline had finally worn off, and it _hurt._ Given how cruelly that yokai had lifted her in the air, it was a miracle it hadn't been dislocated.

Two towels were sitting on the back of the toilet, and she grabbed one. She slowly dried off the lower half of her body, so she would be able to sit on the edge of the tub and let her hair drip for a while.

"I never thought this would come in handy again," she growled under her breath. She was quick with her left hand, quicker than she should have been, something she had learned back after her parents passed on…

She winced in pain as she used both hands to wrap the towel around herself, stepping out of the tub and sitting on the edge as she did so. She hung her head back, closing her eyes at the peaceful sound of the water making small noises as it fell.

She toweled off her hair as best as she could, and had managed to dress her lower half when there was a knock at the door. She jumped.

"Are you okay in there?"

"Y…yes!" Hana called, trying to get her nerves to calm down.

"Okay then," Shizuru said through the door, her voice muffled. "There are clothes for you there on the sink, they're some pajamas of mine. I hope they fit. I'll help if you want me to, if your arm is hurting…"

Hana bit her lip. She was very proficient with one hand, but there were a few things she couldn't do with her arm in the shape it was in.

"Is Shuuichi out there?" she asked nervously.

"No, he's downstairs."

"I do need some help, actually," she said, relieved that it was a female she was talking to, and not the redhead. "I don't think I can put the sling on myself…"

"I'm coming in, okay?" Shizuru said, opening the door a crack, waiting for Hana's approval to enter the room completely. She shut the door behind her.

"How's the arm, kiddo?"

"It's getting really stiff in the shoulder…"

"Ah," she said in understanding. "Come here, so we can get some clothes on you."

Hana hesitated slightly, before Shizuru chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm not into girls."

Hana gave a relieved laugh. Shizuru helped her put her own bra back on, since they shared a different cup size, and since Hana would have never been able to clasp it in the back. With that task completed, Shizuru asked another question.

"We should keep that arm in the sling tonight. Do you want it to be under your top or over?"

"Under's fine," Hana replied as Shizuru opened the box that had the sling in it. She adjusted it to size, and gently placed her arm in its cradle.

"It looks like you've done this before," Hana said with a small smile, seeing how gentle Shizuru was with her ministrations.

"I have a kid brother who was always getting into fights. I've had to treat my fare share of pretty serious things."

"Is that how you know Sh…Kurama?"

Shizuru picked up the unbuttoned pajama top and held it so Hana could slip her good arm through the sleeve.

"Yeah. My brother is a good friend with him. I've known Kurama for about, oh, going on three years now."

"Umm…what exactly _is_ he? I mean, I saw him take the roses, and do something with them, and he killed those monsters so fast…"

Shizuru started buttoning up the front of the shirt. "It's…complicated. You want the short answer or the long answer?"

"Short's fine."

"He's a good guy. You want the long answer, you'll have to talk with him."

"Your brother…can he do the same things?" Hana said. She was still cautious, but it was starting to give way to her curiosity.

"Not quite. But he used to be able to…"

"Can _you_ do anything?" she asked, looking up at the older woman as she finished buttoning up the last closure on the front of the top.

She shook her head and laughed. "But, you know how every group of superheroes has that one normal person with no powers that seems to hold the group together?"

Hana laughed lightly at this statement.

"I hope you don't mind sleeping in my brother's bed for the night. It's clean, but you know, the whole 'boy's room' thing."

Hana shook her head. "No, I don't mind…do you have a hairtie I can borrow?"

* * *

Kurama stood up, hearing the girls walk down the stairs. Shizuru led the way, going into landing area, making room for Hana to step next to her.

"Everything alright?" he asked her.

"Yes, and…" Hana said, blushing slightly as she bowed. "Thank you for saving me…Shuuichi." She hesitated to call him by that name, since she still wasn't too sure what to call him. She peeked up at him from her bowing position, asking with her eyes if she had offended him.

"I'm just glad you're safe. These types of attacks are becoming more common, I'm afraid. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time…"

Hana straightened up. "Ms. Kuwabara says I can stay here until my shoulder heals. It's pretty screwed up right now."

"Hey, don't be getting all nice and proper on me now," Shizuru pouted.

Kurama smiled at her. "I'll come back to check on you tomorrow afternoon, then. And I'll have something that will help heal you faster."

Her eyes brightened, and she nodded, reminiscent of the smile she flashed him in the shop earlier.

"I must take my leave," he said. "Shizuru has my number. Give me a call if anything unusual happens, alright? I don't think you're in any more danger. These attacks are becoming more frequent but it seems as if you were just a random target. You'll be safe here and I'm only a mile away in case anything happens."

Hana laughed, as if she had suddenly remembered something funny.

"Something amusing?" Kurama asked as he had his hand on the doorknob.

"Yes," she said, smiling at him. "I think I just went from owing you coffee to taking you out to dinner."

Kurama took a second to realize what she was saying, then laughed himself as it hit him. "I assure you, that isn't necessary. Coffee will be fine."

"I seem to remember," she said, placing her finger on her chin in an amused way, "that you were opposed to me even owing you coffee in the first place. Now I offer dinner, and you say coffee is fine? What am I going to have to offer for you to take me up on dinner?"

The question was completely innocent, but Shizuru wasn't going to let them get off that easy. "Better wait till that arm heals."

Hana's face turned as red as Kurama's hair for an instant, and Kurama slapped his palm to his forehead before dragging it through his hair, chuckling at the absurdity of what she just said.

"And on that note," he said, "I should probably be going. I don't know what time Kuwabara is going to be here tomorrow. Do you want to call him to inform him of the situation, or should I?"

Shizuru flashed a wicked grin. "Oh please, let me do it. I'll have a lot of fun teasing him that a hot girl slept in his bed."

"You're horrible, you know that?" Hana turned and said.

"Strangely enough, I can live with that."

"Good _night,_ you two." Kurama jokingly said, placing emphasis on his speech. He opened the door and turned to look back at the two women.

"See you tomorrow, Shuuichi," Hana said as she gave another bow out of respect.

He smiled. "You can call me Kurama, if you wish. It's perfectly alright."

Her eyes danced back at him. "Okay!"

With a final wave, Kurama shut the door behind him and started the walk back towards his home.

* * *

Tadaa! Chapter 9. I seem to have a remission into my sickness, and as a result I've been putting my insomnia to good use. But! That is okay, because it took me a while to write this chapter.

I'm happy with the way the story has gone so far. The other characters will all play prominent roles, but I'm sorry it's going to take about a dozen chapters to get to them. I like to be thorough in my writing, since the story I have planned would be just like another saga.

Read and Review! I'd love to get some feedback. I'm also making slight revisions to previous chapters as I go back and realize there were a couple of grammatical errors and other continuity issues that would conflict with the direction of this story.

And by "do", I mean "do not."

Kusanagi


	10. The Morning After

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Thank you for telling me that I have really good character development. This is my first fanfic I've written where I've added an original character, and I'm trying very hard not to fall into the trap of the Mary Sue.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Ten – The Morning After  
**

"Oh, my friggen head," Kuwabara said, cradling his face as if it was made out of glass. It was the morning after the party, and he was definitely feeling the effects of a hangover. He had just woke up, the sunlight streaming through the window acting as daggers to his eyes.

"Wow, I didn't think it would hurt this much," he said. "What about you, Urameshi?" he asked, turning towards the other bed in the room. It was empty.

"Urameshi?"

He looked around the room. He was indeed the only occupant.

"That weasel!" Kuwabara said as he stood up from the bed. "I bet he snuck off to another room of the house with Keiko!" A grin spread across his face. He burst out of the room and into the hall, intent on catching his friend in a very embarrassing and compromising condition.

He reached the door to the other guest room and slid it open. "Caught you, you punk!"

Yukina looked up from where she was lying in bed, clutching the covers around her and screaming, her face red. "Kazuma! What are you doing?"

"Get out of here, you jerk!" Keiko yelled from the other bed, before picking up her bookbag and flinging it at him. It caught him directly in the face, knocking him back onto the floor.

Keiko jumped out of the bed and slammed the door shut, leaving a twitching Kuwabara laid out in the hall, a trickle of blood coming out his nose.

"Jeez, what the heck was that for?" he said, springing to his feet. "It's not like I knew Yukina was going to be there wrapped in just her covers…"

"Good morning, chicken legs," Genkai said from the other end of the hall. Kuwabara turned to look at her, saw where her gaze was locked, and then looked down at himself.

He had been in such a rush to get to Yusuke, he hadn't put any clothes on. He was clothed only in his white undershirt and striped boxors.

"Aw, damnit!" he yelled, running back into his own room to get dressed.

Genkai sighed, and knocked on the door Keiko just slammed.

"Don't come in here!"

"You two don't have anything I don't," Genkai said with a smirk. A second later, the door slid open a crack, Yukina's eyes framed by the wood.

"Oh, good morning, Master Genkai!" she said, opening the door fully, letting the old woman step inside.

"Where's the third one?" she asked, referring to Botan.

"Here I am!" she said, coming out of the bathroom, toothbrush in her mouth, hairbrush in her hand.

"I take it you all slept well?"

"Yes, we did!" Yukina said. "You're up early, Master Genkai."

"I'm always up at this hour."

"Was Kuwabara looking for Yusuke, just now?" Keiko asked, still in the bed, sitting up with the covers around legs.

"Where is the dimwit?"

"I don't know. He wasn't here when we woke up?"

"I…see." Keiko said in a low voice, her voice barely a whisper as she hung her head.

"Are you okay, Keiko?" Yukina said, sensing the change in her friend's mood.

"Me?" she exclaimed, flashing a large smile. "Of course, never better!"

"You can't use that trick on us. Botan uses it way too much to have us not notice it," the older woman said.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You heard me."

"I guess he wasn't…"

"Keiko, I didn't even here you come in. I mean, you went outside with Yusuke…"

"We had a fight. A really bad one," Keiko said harshly. "He's being an idiot and I don't really want to talk about it right now, okay?"

Kuwabara reappeared at the doorframe, this time wearing clothes. "Where did he go?"

"He's not here, we don't know where he went."

"Well, I sure didn't hear him when he came in last night or when he left this morning!"

"I'm amazed you can even stand up this morning, Kuwabara, after how much you put away last night," Genkai said as she walked past them, out of the room. "The aspirin is in the third cabinet to the left of the sink in the kitchen."

"It doesn't hurt _that_ bad. Besides, Yukina can just use her healing powers on me!"

"No, she won't," Genkai retorted as she slipped down the hall and out of sight.

"Why not?" Kuwabara demanded to know.

"Because you won't learn anything if she does," the now distant voice sounded.

"Geez, she's used her powers on me for stuff far less than _this,_" Kuwabara said under his breath. His thoughts were interrupted by another heavy object colliding with his skull. He thought it was the alarm clock, but he wasn't sure.

"Get out, Kuwabara!"

"What the hell did I do wrong? I put on clothes, didn't I?"

"But _we_ haven't yet!"

* * *

"Kazuma, did you want two eggs or three?" Yukina said, looking over her shoulder. She was in front of the stove, cooking up a light breakfast with Keiko's help for the few of them that remained. Botan left for Reikai after she got dressed, saying Koenma-sama needed her for something or other, so the group was a little less noisy.

"Three sounds good! I'm hungry!" Kuwabara said, readjusting the ice pack against the side of his head.

"How's the hangover?" Genkai said, sipping her coffee.

"Getting better. So, does anyone know where Urameshi went?"

Keiko, her back to Kuwabara, visibly stiffened when she heard his name. It wasn't unnoticed by Genkai, who made a mental note to talk to the young teen later.

"No, I don't think so," Yukina responded, moving the pan off of the heat.

"Keiko, you were with him last, any idea why he took off?"

Keiko lowered her head, turning her palm towards her face. There were a few scabs there, the aftermath of her clutching the thorny rose in her hurt.

"We…we got into a huge fight," she said in a low voice. "He probably left after I went inside."

"It's not like him to just take off like that," Kuwabara mentioned.

Keiko let out a short bitter laugh that came out more like a bark. "That's because _you_ were always with him."

"Well yeah, but-" he started, before an elbow in the ribs from Genkai shut him up.

"So, everyone, what are the plans for today?" the older woman asked, hoping the subject would be changed so easily.

It was. "Well, I was wondering if you'd like to go to the beach today Yukina, now that it's warmer and in the middle of the day!" Kuwabara said.

"I'd love to, Kazuma!" Yukina said enthusiastically, moving the pan over toward the table and scooping the eggs onto his plate. Kuwabara was practically beaming. "What should I wear? I don't want to get all wet again, should I go like I do at the hot springs?"

Kuwabara's blush started at his toes and rapidly rose the rest of the way through his body as all rational thought left him. The thought of Yukina, wearing just a towel or nothing at all in the hot springs…

"Actually," Genkai said, smacking Kuwabara in the back of the head, "there are special clothes designed for swimming in. It's not a good idea to swim around men with nothing on."

"_That_ one especially," Keiko said, glad for the break in the conversation.

"I gotta get out of here," Kuwabara said, slumping. "There's too much estrogen."

"Yukina, would you like to go into town and find a bathing suit?" Keiko asked as she sat at the table.

"I thought we weren't going to be bathing in the ocean?" she said, confused.

"Well, no…but it's _called_ a bathing suit. It's pretty much used anytime you're dealing with water and you _aren't _bathing."

"Okay then, if you say so," she said, brightening. She was an innocent girl, but she was one who was always eager to learn new things about the world she was in.

"One piece or two piece?" Keiko thought aloud to herself.

_Two, please_, Kuwabara thought to himself while trying not to grin like an idiot.

"Can we figure this out later, children?" Genkai said. "I'm hungry."

* * *

Yusuke had indeed gone home after the talk with Keiko. 

_Because…I can't say it back._

He was now walking downtown, looking for something, anything to take his mind off of what happened. Everything just seemed so…empty.

He was angry. He was frustrated. He was upset because for the first time in his life, this was something he couldn't overcome with strength. Every time there had been an obstacle, he always had something that pulled him through it. Hidden powers, yokai blood, some sort of insight or inspiration at the exact moment. He always had faith that somehow, things would turn out okay.

Not this time.

Keiko had told him that she didn't love him anymore.

_Anymore._ That word hurt so much worse than any other one to describe it. If she hadn't used that word, it would be easier. He could convince himself that she never really loved him, that it was all just an infatuation the two had had since they were little. That they never really branched out to show interest in others, and that was the only reason they were drawn to each other. They didn't know any better.

But _anymore_ cut him. She _did_ love him. _Had_ loved him. And he had lost it. He had the most precious thing in the world to him after searching for it, but it was too late. He had taken too long. It's not like that was new.

He had always taken too long. Too long to save the young boy, thus ending his own life. Too long to prevent Keiko from getting hurt by Suzaku's minions. Too long to reach his own power during the final confrontation with Toguro. Too long to take back his body before he fired the blast that killed Sensui.

And now, too long to save the one thing that mattered to him more than anything else.

He pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket, bringing one to his lips before lighting it.

_I can't say it back._

Yesterday, after Keiko went back in the house, Yusuke didn't know what to feel. It was a mixture of so many emotions hitting him so fast he didn't have time to experience any of them. He ended up riding Puu out of the compound and back outside the city where the beast had dropped him off. The whole ordeal was just now starting to sink in, and he hated the feeling. There was a sense of loss clawing from deep within him, threatening to undermine everything he was.

"So what now, Yusuke?" he said to himself, taking a drag, the smoke filling his lungs. He had dropped smoking a while ago, but now, what was really the point?

A woman and man passed by him heading the other way, giving him a disapproving look as the acrid smell reached their nostrils. So what?

Kurama was the only one who wasn't back at the compound. No, wait, that wasn't right. He had to attend a council meeting today called by Enki. Yusuke had been invited, but he thought he wouldn't have a reason or a need to show up.

What time was it? Maybe he could still make it…

Although the Kakai barrier had been dissolved, there was still no easy way to open a portal between the two worlds. A few of the higher class apparitions were able to do it, but that was the reason for the barrier in the first place. The only ones in Ningenkai that could open a portal were Enma's Spirit Defense Forces. They were more than happy to be rid of him when he went to Makai, since none of them could even think of taking him on.

He threw the cigarette down and crushed it. He felt so useless here. Junior High had its challenges – they were solved with fists. So it came naturally to him to fight others. But in this world, the one he was growing into, the one he was born in…this world did things differently when you grew up. You couldn't settle things with might.

He had grown up some, but it wasn't enough. It never seemed to be enough.

_I can't…_

"Damnit!" he shouted in frustration, punching a vending machine next to him hard enough to rock it. The few bystanders noticed, and shied away from the troubled youth.

Fine. If that was the way it was, he would go back, for a while at least. He needed to blow off steam, and there was no way to do it in Ningenkai. He felt like seeing Jin, and Touya, and Link, and Chu. It had been awhile since they all seen each other. Maybe a sparring match was just what he needed to lift his spirits. Maybe Yomi would be willing to have that rematch.

That decision made, he headed off in the direction of the park, lighting up another cigarette. _If nothing has been able to kill me so far, there's no way that these would.

* * *

_

Sorry it took so long for this chapter to get up. I'm training for a new job in sales and even the training is a full time position. I've been so busy passing a few tests and basically, if I don't pass, I'm fired. So far so good, but updates won't be nearly as frequent (but hopefully more frequent than this!)

See you later! I'm going to get Chapter 11 started, so that should be up a lot sooner than this short one was.


	11. The First Meeting

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Chapter 11: Time to bring back some familiar faces!

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Eleven: The First Meeting**

"Hey, Kurama!" Jin yelled, waving to his friend before flying over to him. "It's a bloody shame ya couldn't come sooner, so we'd be able to have a raucous of a good time, yeah?" the yokai said in his excited Irish voice.

Kurama had stepped through the portal into Makai a short time ago and was making his way towards Raizen's old capital, where Enki had taken residence once he had come to power. Jin happened to be in the area, and ran into Kurama out of sheer luck.

"Jin!" Kurama smiled as Jin landed a few feet from him. "I haven't seen you in months! How have you been?"

"Been trainin' me heart out, I have. Gonna knock a few skulls in the next tourney!" he said, puffing out his chest and flexing his arms.

"You've certainly improved, I see," Kurama said, crossing his arms to examine his former student. "So, having plans to become the next king of Makai?"

Jin waved his hand in a dismissing gesture. "Nah, I don't want any of that. I just want to get some good fights in. Got no ambition to be in politics, no-siree."

"I would hope not all yokai as good natured as you feel the same way. Walk with me?" Kurama said as he continued walking down the path. He estimated it would take him another half hour to get to his destination, assuming there were no distractions.

"What mean ya by that?"

"Well, I feel we all got lucky with Enki-sama winning. Suppose a yokai with rather darker ambitions really wanted to become the next king and none of the good ones were to stop him because they wanted to, what was the term you used? 'Bashing a few skulls?'"

"I trust any of Raizen's friends to do right by him. Although I don't imagine any of them would go down easily, that's assurin' ya. My jaw still hurts from the last tourney!"

"How have the others been?"

"Chu keeps runnin' off after Natsumi, the lovelorn bastard. Rinku's the exact same way with his little kitten mistress. She beat the livin' hell out of him not too long ago, durin' one of their sparrin' matches, she did."

"Boys will be boys, I suppose."

"No foolin! Every one seems to have someone except for me. How's about Yusuke? He ever patch things up with that Keiko lass?"

Kurama honestly answered, "I don't know." He hadn't heard anything about how the night had gone, since he left the compound and had to deal with the yokai attack against Hana.

"Any girl that has a boy like Yusuke pinin' over her for so long has to take him back, it's the way things be!"

"I thought _you_ were trying to get with Ruka?"

"Oh wow," Jin said, doing a flip in the air before answering. "She's a pistol, that one. We tried it and it didn't seem to work out for some reason."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"No worries, pal! So, what about you? Anyone new in your life?"

"No, not really," Kurama said while laughing. "So Jin, what brings you by today? I doubt you were flying in the area for no reason."

"I'm on patrol, it's my turn. There's been a lot of strange things goin' on recently."

"Really?" Kurama asked, suddenly interested in Jin's answer to this question.

"Yeah. Reikai and Koenma asked us to step up the patrol until they can find a new Tantei. Seems they didn't think they be needin' one but with that Kakai barrier down, not much keeps us from gettin' in and out of Ningenkai."

"I thought there weren't any yokai lower than B-class on patrol?"

"That be true. The problem is the lower class ones tend to sneak about and find portals that seem to open up. We don't even know that they've gone until we get a message from the top about how many humans were killed before something was done. Usually the SDF takes care of it."

"Yes, Reikai definitely is apprehensive about all this," Kurama agreed.

The problem was a very old one. The psuedo-space between all three worlds was impenetrable by normal yokai, under normal circumstances. The ones who were capable of opening portals were usually A and S classes. So, the Kakai barrier was erected to prevent these yokai from entering either world. There were exceptions to this of course, when a sub-A class found the power to open portals (such as Itsuki). Before the last tournament, there was quite an industry in Makai of traffickers. Yokai that could open up portals were paid large sums to open portals for weaker yokai to go through. And now, with the barrier down, the so called "yokai trade" was as busy as ever.

Earth had been relatively lucky, in terms of yokai activity. There were other worlds out there that were easier to access – it was only recently that they started coming to Ningenkai in larger – and more powerful – numbers. This was why Koenma decided to instate a Reikai Tantei on Earth – with Kuroko being the first. It's not like there weren't humans defending their world before that point – indeed, humanity might have never made it as far as it did if it wasn't for the efforts of all the monks and mikos that took it upon themselves to fight. The yokai threat was still a relatively small one, so Koenma didn't feel the need to have an official Tantei on Earth.

All that started changing about a century ago. Spiritually inclined humans found themselves fighting stronger and stronger yokai, and with instances like the slaughter at Genkai and Toguro's old dojo becoming more commonplace, Reikai finally stepped in to do something. But the Tantei had two roles – savior, and excuse.

Deep down, Kurama felt a burning resentment towards King Enma, and he knew Yusuke did as well. The Spirit Defense Force was able to take down A-class yokai with ease, yet Reikai didn't send them except as a last resort. The Tantei on Earth, such as Yusuke, Kuroko, Sensui, and the others that fought alongside them to protect Ningenkai – himself, Kuwabara, and at times Hiei – were left to their own devices. The Tantei were sometimes just a way for Reikai to look the other way.

Toguro was a perfect example of this – he had come so close to killing them all, and Reikai could have stopped it all so quickly with the SDF, even by sending their weakest member – but they didn't. They didn't see Toguro as a threat. They would only step in when the threat was so large it couldn't be contained by whatever forces Ningenkai had on its own. They never stepped in before the situation nearly leapt out of control – almost always with devastating consequences for humanity, losing some of its top defenders. It was almost like it was a nuisance to them to step it. And with the Kakai barrier up, who could blame them? They couldn't waste their time on lower class trash.

How many people had Kurama seen suffer and die at the hands of lower class trash?

Too many to count. There had almost been another one last night. Kurama felt a pang of guilt. How many others had he not been able to save…?

"Hey, you seem blue, Kurama!" Jin said, noticing his friend in deep thought.

"Hm?" Kurama started, shaken out of his trance by the inquisitive blue eyes looking into his own. "Oh, it was nothing. Just thinking about everything that's going on."

"Well, fill me in on everything that happens at the meeting, will ya pal?" Jin said, flying a quick circle around Kurama.

"And how did you know what I was doing?"

"Are you kidding? Everyone knows there's gonna be a new tourney, and people are all riled up for it! Why else would you be heading towards Enki's place if it wasn't to discuss what happenin's be goin' on?"

"Can't get much by you, can I?"

"Nope!" Jin said with a grin while his ears twitched.

"Well, since you seem to have been in the area, do you know if the others have arrived yet?"

"A few have. I saw Mukuro and Yomi earlier, not together of course. You should take a look at Shura, the little bugger's really grown!"

"Looks like I'm the last one then," Kurama said with a sigh.

"You might not be! You wouldn't happen to know if Yusuke was comin' to this little shindig, do ya?"

"He knows of it, but he has other plans as far as I know. I can tell him you said hello, next time I see him."

"Right as rain, pally! I best be off now, I gotta keep an eye out on what's happenin'!"

"Take care, Jin. Tell the others I'm here and I would love to meet up, if they have no plans later."

"No problem, I don't think any of the old gang would miss this!"

Jin took off like a rocket, the wind from his flight blowing Kurama's hair back and causing the trees to rustle. _He's certainly in a good mood…_

"I'm surprised you understand a word he says, Kurama," a familiar voice said behind him.

Kurama turned and saw his friend standing on a tree branch nearby, and smiled.

"Hiei, it's good to see you again."

Hiei gave a small smirk as he jumped off the ground, landing in front of Kurama. "I was wondering when you would show up."

Knowing that was as much of a greeting as Kurama was going to get out of the yokai, he got right to the point. "I would have been here sooner, except there were some issues last night."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with a group of yokai that managed to get through one of the portals, would it?" Hiei asked, falling in step beside Kurama as the two of them continued along the path.

"How did you know?"

"I was on patrol yesterday and we ran across a group of fools who found a portal before we did. I killed all of them, but a few had crossed over before I arrived."

"There were three last night that I encountered. Not much of a threat, but these attacks need to stop. How have you been?"

"Adequate," Hiei said nonchalantly.

"Trying to get any training in for the next tournament?"

"I've been making preparations."

"Trying to stay awake after using your _kokuryuha_?" Kurama teased, the corner of his mouth pulling into a smile.

"Hn. And what about you? Managed to get any training in?"

"A little. However, I am afraid I have reached the limit of my abilities in a few areas."

Hiei raised an eyebrow while looking at Kurama. "Without transforming, you mean."

Kurama nodded.

"I don't understand you, Kurama."

He laughed. "I could say the same of you."

Both of them chuckled lightly as they made their way.

* * *

"Well, look who finally showed up," Yomi said, extending his hand out towards Kurama. "I am glad you were able to make it."

"Yomi," Kurama said, taking his hand and shaking it. "You look well."

"As well as can be expected. I was wondering if you'd make it here at all."

"Strangely, you're not the first person to say that to me today," Kurama noted as he saw Hiei continue into the chamber.

Yomi smirked. "Not like you to be late."

"There were some issues that came up in Ningenkai I had to take care of."

Yomi smiled. "I understand. Perhaps we would be able to catch up for a while after the meeting? I'm curious as to how you and your family are doing." Yomi gave a slight chuckle. "Suddenly, since I have one of my own now, I see the importance in what it can mean."

"I would enjoy that very much, but I'm afraid I will have to postpone it. Someone else already asked for my company today."

"I see. Well then, I will look forward to it."

* * *

"Welcome everyone!" Enki said, standing at the end of the long table. The large red Yokai was very happy to see everyone there.

The conference was taking place in a large room, its vaulted ceiling reaching high into the air. A large table of polished metal was located in the center of the room. Chairs surrounded it, some occupied, and others not. Chatter around the table ceased when Enki's voice spoke out.

Hiei sat with Mukuro on the right side of the table, with Kurama and Yomi mirroring them on the left. At the other end of the table were a few other of Enki's friends, most of them from Raizen's old gang.

"Well, I think everyone is here, so shall we get started?"

General murmurs of assent made their way around.

"Most of you know each other, but there are a few new faces here, so I'll introduce them."

He pointed at a man at the far end of the table. "Vanzu, stand up, will you?"

A tall, olive skinned being rose from his chair. He wore a long flowing tunic, blue in color, with no ornamentation to speak of. His ears, pierced three times each, framed high cheekbones and narrow red eyes. Shoulder-length black hair made its way down the back of his neck, a few strands falling in front of his face.

"This is Vanzu. He's become one of my most trusted advisors and keeps me informed of much of the activities that occur in Makai. I trust him completely and he's a really great guy. He'll be the one in charge of the tournament for the most part, since I actually plan on competing and I don't believe he has any plans to, was that right?"

Vansu bowed, and a soft voice sounded. "No, I don't think so. I know when I am out of my league."

The rest of the introductions went smoothly, but Enki didn't elaborate on the other members as much as he did Vanzu. Soon enough, it was all business.

"Well, I asked you all here today for two separate reasons. The first one, which should be the easiest to take care of, involves planning for the next tournament. I'll turn over my power to whoever wins."

"And what happens if you were to emerge victorious again?" Mukuro said.

"Well, then I guess I'm still going to be around for the next few years!" he said with a laugh. "I hope none of you think that's a bad thing. I've tried to do my best."

"I must say, I am very impressed with the way you've been handling things," Yomi said. "Not saying I couldn't do a better job, however," he added with a smirk.

"Win the next tournament and you'll have your chance," Mukuro replied.

"Actually, Yomi, it pleases me to hear you say that. I've asked you here several times because I trust all of you. You were the rulers of Makai, and even though I'm the rightful ruler, that doesn't mean I know much about politics. You two know much more about being in charge than I do, so I hope you don't mind me coming to you seeking advice once in a while."

"I see no harm in it," Mukuro stated. Hiei was starting to look bored.

"Do you have an idea for the format of the next tournament?" Kurama said.

"Well, we've had several ideas. There's probably going to be a lot more participants this time, seeing how luck played a large part in the last one. The first involves starting the preliminaries in a month, at different regional areas around Makai, with the best ones advancing to the real preliminaries. Kind of like a contest."

"How many yokai plan on entering?"

"We'd be lucky if there were less than about ten thousand. I'm thinking that in order to get everything done in time, we'd _have_ to split it up to a few different areas in Makai."

"With the main preliminaries occurring at the start of the actual tournament?"

"Yes, I would think that a wise idea," Vanzu said, from the end of the table. "We barely were able to accommodate the volume of people who attended the tournament last time."

"So, how would you propose the math works out?" Yomi asked.

"Kurama?"

Kurama thought it over in his head, being the most proficient in math seated in the present company. "I think we should have sixty four fighters start the main tournament in one-on-one matches. If we figure that the preliminaries at the actual tournament are groups of fifty fighters, then it would allow for three thousand and two hundred yokai to be at the main tournament. I don't see any other way we could narrow the field down to that number without separate preliminaries before the main tournament."

"How do you suggest we split up Makai?"

Mukuro answered this question, her eye scanning Enki. "Why not divide it by the boundaries of the old kingdoms?" While it was true that Makai was considered one kingdom now, the old boundaries were still intact, mostly as states or different regions.

"Yes, I would think that would work."

"Hold one hundred preliminaries at different population centers. Have a large, battle royale style match and when there are only thirty two left, those thirty two advance to the main tournament and preliminaries?"

"I don't think anything else would be quite as effective."

"Hiei? Anything to add?"

"Hn."

"At any rate, we would have to have all of the hundred matches take place at the same time to prevent people from cross-entering."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, suppose someone loses at one of the preliminaries. What's to keep them from just going on to another?"

"Good point. Hold all of them at once so there's little chance of foul play."

"Well, there's one more problem that I can see."

"What's that?"

"Assuming each region splits up the matches evenly, there will still be one match needed to make a hundred."

"What region gets that match?"

"I haven't thought of that. All of the population seems to be equal in those areas."

"I believe I might have a solution to that. I wanted to discuss it, seeing the way things are working out for the planning now."

"What do you think, Kurama?"

"There are also plenty of humans who enjoy a good challenge. Unfortunately, there is no type of tournament environment that would allow them to test their skills. I know of several that would love to enter the tournament, and I'm sure there are others."

"It's bad enough that idiot Kuwabara was here once, Kurama…"

"I don't think Kuwabara is one who wants to participate. He has his own life now. But there is definitely an interest with those that have any type of spectral power to put it to the test, and they cannot do so in Ningenkai unless it's facing down a few of the yokai that don't appreciate the new order."

"That's very interesting. Have the hundredth one be a human-only match?" Yomi mused, scratching his chin.

"Yes. In all honesty, most of them would be eliminated at the main preliminaries, but I certainly don't see how it could hurt, since everyone is given an equal chance to compete."

"Why not? Any objections?"

There was silence at the table, then Vanzu spoke up. "Suppose a human were to actually go on to win the tournament?"

Hiei and Kurama glanced at each other, both thinking of Sensui when he said that.

"We could make it a stipulation for all humans wanting to enter to test their skills that they will not become the ruler of Makai should one of them indeed win."

"I don't think that any of them seriously think that they would win anyway."

"It might seem unfair, but I think most would be so grateful for a chance to even compete that they would be fine with that setup."

"How do we go on and announce this in Ningenkai? We can't exactly string up banners."

"Fortunately, I have connections with all the ones who would wish to enter. I believe Master Genkai may know of some as well."

"Genkai? _The_ Genkai?" Enki said in astonishment.

"Yes, that would be the one."

"Wow. Is there any chance she would join us?"

"I'm afraid not. She is aged and simply wishes to live a peaceful life."

"So then, it's settled? One hundred preliminaries a month from now, with the last one being a human only tournament?"

No objections were made.

"Great!" Enki said with enthusiasm. "Vanzu, I hope that wouldn't be a problem for you!"

"Of course not. I will begin preparations immediately."

Hiei leaned back. "Can we get on with this? I don't care how we get it done, just that we do."

"Someone's eager to show his stuff," Mukuro said, giving a sly grin in his direction.

"I'll defeat anyone who gets in my way."

"I'm sure you'll freeze them to death with your sunny disposition."

Hiei glared at Mukuro, but she was already turned toward Yomi.

"What was the other reason you asked us here, Enki?"

"Ahh, that," he said, leaning back in his chair. "We seem to have another issue that's come up, although I'm sure all of you have been aware of it."

"The attacks in Ningenkai?"

The large yokai nodded.

"Reikai is coming down on me about it. We need to figure out a way to beef up the patrols, somehow."

"We don't answer to King Enma and his fools."

"No, we don't Hiei, but the chance here is too great to squabble over." Yomi observed.

"There hasn't been a chance at peace between Ningenkai and Reikai like this for centuries. There might never be one again. We should all work together to ensure it does not diminish, for both our worlds."

"I don't see how this type of foolishness would benefit or retract from Makai."

"Calm down, Hiei."

"Consider this," Kurama said, leaning back and steepling his hands. "Makai has been a relatively level playing field for most of its existence. In the hundreds of years we've lived, we can all see that. Some of us here are older than others, so we can remember that far back. Do you all agree?"

"Yes, you're right. But where are you going with this?"

"I say this as someone who has lived in Ningenkai for the time I have," Kurama started. "I have studied the history of the world, and seen the effects which are taking place in it now. Over the last thousand years, Makai has made no great strides in technology or strength. The strongest yokai are really no stronger than they were thousands of years ago. We have always been superior to Ningenkai, but that is starting to change.

"Take the last hundred years, if you will. Ningenkai has made tremendous strides in technology, medicine, and strength. Their advancements in weaponry has been most effective. They have figured out how to do with technology what many of us can do naturally, although they are still nowhere near our level."

"What exactly is your point?"

"My point is this. Ningenkai is evolving at a much faster rate than Makai is. Humans in general, and all their technology. At the rate they are progressing, it won't be too long before Ningenkai is at Makai's current level, and may possibly surpass it."

"You can't be serious!" Vanzu said in an annoyed tone.

"I am," Kurama said, staring him down. "Take for example what happened in my country not even a century ago. Humans were able to harness the power of the atom into an incredibly destructive weapon that killed tens of thousands in a single instant. The weapons of today can kill many, many times more than that."

"Is it that big of a deal?"

"Two thousand years ago, they were fighting with rudimentary blades. Now they are creating miniature stars. Add another thousand years onto that rate, and tell me you don't see the problem it presents to Makai."

Vanzu's eyes narrowed for an instant.

"As of now, Ningenkai is virtually defenseless. That's why Reikai chose to guard it. But now things are different. Reikai is taking a back seat and is watching how we might achieve co-existence on our own, without their interference."

"As if Reikai was ever going to promote co-existence anyway."

"Even if they don't, the point remains valid. Makai is much stronger as a whole than Ningenkai is. The gap is closing quickly and will be completely gone within a few hundred years, if not before then. Why not lay the groundwork for a long established peace now while we have time to build trust and relationships?"

"I can't believe we're even _discussing_ the idea that humans would be able to become more powerful than us! Why should it fall on us to pick up all their slack?"

"Because right now, we're the most powerful and Reikai is trusting us to do the right thing for this to work."

"Do you honestly think that humans would react the same way if the tables were turned?" Vanzu said, standing up and leaning over the table, placing his palms face down on it.

Kurama looked up at him, the tension building. "I would hope it would never get to that point."

"Answer the question."

"I believe they would, yes."

"Humans have a lot of evil in their hearts."

"The same could be said of Makai as well. Is it a fair comparison?"

"And how do you think Ningenkai would react if they were more powerful than us, and suddenly found out the entire truth about the existence of Makai?"

Kurama didn't have an answer for that."

"They would be horribly conflicted!" Vanzu said, standing up to his full height. "Ningenkai is a savage world. In all of its history, when there has been a startling discovery made, everyone thought that their fighting would stop. That they would be so amazed by what was presented that they would stop waging war and live in peace.

"But that has _never_ been the case. It's always given them an excuse to fight harder. Take for example when your Columbus discovered your so called 'new world.' It caused all the aptly named 'civilized people' engage in bloody wars with each other and on the new soil, with those who already lived there. How many people died, how many civilizations were wiped out of existence?

"What makes you think that they wouldn't kill all of us, given the chance, and expand into the now bare Makai?"

"If that is to be the case, then we have several hundred years to prevent it, by establishing a good relationship now," Kurama answered.

"Being a human has made you soft. What happened to the legendary Youko you used to be?"

Kurama stood up, enraged but calm, and stared right into Vanzu's eyes. "I will _not_ have my humanity called into question!"

"You didn't even _have_ a humanity eighteen years ago."

"Enough, Vanzu." Enki said, trying to break the moment. "You two can discuss the long term ramifications later. The more pressing short term issue is that Reikai has talked about raising the Kakai barrier again."

"What good will that do?"

"Do you want the honest answer?" Enki said. "It would make us lose a lot of face. Makai just went through a massive upheaval and we need to show that the new system works better than the old one. If we can't make this work, then the relationship between our three worlds will never change."

"There's only so much we can do."

"What do you suggest?"

"The patrols have to have two objectives now – to keep humans out, and to keep yokai in. Each squad is comprised of A-class demons and B-class with special powers. If an S-class has any plans to get through into Ningenkai, he can be dealt with by the rest of us. It's the smaller ones that don't give off much energy that are giving us problems."

"Too many are slipping by," Mukuro said. "We have tried to stop them as best we can, but with new portals opening and closing all the time, we can't get there in time to stop some of the sub-B class from entering into Ningenkai. Most won't, but a few will."

"I've had to deal with them more than once," Kurama said. "Last night, I killed three of them."

"These have to stop," Enki said. "What would you think we should do as a preliminary measure?"

"I can only use my Jagan to see so much."

"Now there's an interesting idea," Yomi said, the first time he had spoken in awhile. "Are there any other yokai out there that have the same type of ability to seek things out like you do, Hiei?"

"How would I know?"

"You seem like the kind of person that keeps close eyes on your competition, no pun intended."

"Maybe we can find a few, but most choose to stay in hiding," Mukuro answered before Hiei could say anything.

"Okay then," Enki said, clapping his hands together. "We'll round up and recruit anyone with psychic abilities that wants to help us. Does everyone know of at least several they can talk to?"

A round of yeses and nods made their way around the table.

"Perfect. Plan on meeting again in two weeks to see how the progress is and to go over the final details for the first round of preliminaries?"

"Will it be a long one? I have more training to get in with Shura."

"No, it wouldn't be. Just a way to go over how Vanzu and myself decide to set things up."

"You're the boss, Enki," Mukuro said, standing up and stretching. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that should do it," Enki said, standing up as well. "Thanks for your input, everyone. I really appreciate it. You're all dismissed."

* * *

That's the end of that chapter. Don't be too surprised if I go back and reword it slightly! 

Please R+R! It's always greatly appreciated!


	12. Expendables

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Eeep! I am a wanted criminal! The courthouse didn't get my notice that I couldn't attend jury duty, and now I have a warrant out for my arrest. Yay!

At any rate, it's time for some more action and to advance the plot a bit. I hope you all will like what I have planned for it. It's moving but it might take a while to get there since I'm a perfectionist and I need to rewrite a scene half a dozen times before it comes out the way I want it to.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho but I do own the original characters depicted in this fic. So far those characters are Vanzu, Hana, Otoyo, and Ryominaka. Steal them and die.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares **

**Chapter Twelve: Expendables**

"Ryominaka?" Otoyo said as she leapt from her tree, landing in a crouch beside her.

"Yes?" the older yokai said as she turned to face her eager ward.

"I'm tired of waiting! Can we go yet?"

Ryominaka surveyed the group in front of her. Two dozen yokai of various shapes and sizes made up their ranks, all members of her clan. They all dressed in the same garments, blue tunics with a yellow sash running around their waists. All of them perfectly trained, perfectly ready.

And perfectly expendable.

Ryominaka swiveled her ears, trying to hear anyone or anything that was in the area, interrupting their plans. She placed her hand on Otoyo's shoulder.

"Yes, it's time. Remember, you don't have to kill the target. Just get enough of his blood so that you can absorb his abilities.

Otoyo's eyes brightened, flexing her hand and calling forth a small purple blade of energy at her fingertips.

"Otoyo."

"Hm?"

"Do it in such a way that he won't know, if at all possible. We don't want those idiots in Enki's council or in Reikai to know what we're up to until it's too late."

Otoyo pouted as the blade vanished. "You know I could do it so fast! He wouldn't even know what hit him!"

"You _can't_ use yoki or you'll be hunted down by the other ones we spoke of. Once you get through, proceed to the target as quickly as you can. I'll leave the rest of it up to you. If he suspects anything, then and only then can you use any type of force."

The small chameleon yokai stood up and stretched, a very characteristic move for her. "Yeah, we went over all this already. But why are they coming along too?"

Ryominaka lowered her voice so just the two of them could hear. "Because we're using an established portal and it could be guarded. You _must_ get through. The others are expendable. You aren't. Without you, this entire plan will completely fall through. Use whatever techniques you have at your disposal to make it through that portal, get the job done quick, and get back here. Is that understood?"

She nodded.

Ryominaka smiled. "Good. It won't be long now."

"I just find it hard to believe a ningen could have that type of power."

"Regardless, he does-"

Ryominaka stopped in mid sentence, her ears flattening back as she heard the voice in her head she had been waiting for.

_The fools are occupied. Move now, before it's too late._

"Ryominaka?"

She turned towards her troupe, and smiled. "That was the signal. All the idiots are busy at the meeting. Go, now. And remember, we will not lose!"

A resounding chorus of cheers sounded out, before all the yokai disappeared as they phased away, moving at blinding speed.

Ryominaka bent down next to Otoyo. "Otoyo. You _have _to make it through the portal. Not the others, _you_. Do you understand what I mean?"

Otoyo smiled with a mischevious twinkle in her eyes. "I'll make sure that _I_ get through. I can't say the same about anyone else..."

The older woman laughed. "Good, now that we understand each other perfectly. Be careful."

Otoyo nodded and vanished herself.

* * *

"It's been interesting, I must say," Mukuro said. "Now that I'm not in charge, I have a lot of free time on my hands." 

"I have the same blessing," Yomi remarked in turn. "I find myself spending more and more time with Shura these days."

A small group of them had gathered outside the building, enjoying some lighthearted conversation before they would go their own separate ways.

"What about you, Kurama?"

"I've been rather busy myself. I have school and exams coming up I've tried studying my hardest for. I also have my family to look after."

"They sound wonderful, from what you've told me of them, old friend," Yomi said.

"I honestly don't think I would mind seeing Ningenkai again," Mukuro said. "I haven't stepped foot in that realm in centuries, and I'm curious if what you say is true."

"You're not missing much. The stench took months to wash off me," Hiei intoned.

"Be that as it may, I might be able to arrange it for a day or two if you wanted to actually visit Ningenkai," Kurama said.

"I might just take you up on that offer, Kurama," Yomi replied. "A small vacation would be nice before the tournament starts."

"You wouldn't be able to train at all while you were there, you understand."

"I do."

"So Hiei," Kurama said, trying to get him involved in the conversation. "How do you think you'll do in the next tournament?"

"I'm going to crush anyone who gets in my way, of course," he said, the corner of his mouth pulling up into a smile. "And what about you?"

"I don't know. That's what keeps it fun and interesting!"

All of them laughed.

"Hey, guys!" a distant, yet familiar voice sounded out. All of them turned as one to see a figure running up the steps towards them.

"If it isn't Raizen Junior," Mukuro said with a smirk.

Yusuke made it about halfway up the stairs, then decided to jump the rest of the way, landing nimbly in front of his friend.

"You're late, as usual," Hiei said.

"Well, at least I can usually be bothered to show up," he retorted. "Aww, damn! I missed the meeting! I hope I didn't miss anything important."

"Not really," Yomi said. "Just going over some plans for the next tournament."

"I can't wait! Is anyone up for a little sparring?" Yusuke said as he punched his palm.

Kurama took notice that he was acting a little more cheerful than normal.

Hiei took a step forward. "I wouldn't mind the workout."

"You can't, Hiei. We're on patrol, remember?"

"Let those other idiots handle it."

"Are you feeling alright, Yusuke?" Kurama said, a worried tone bleeding into his voice.

"Me? Just had a hard day's night yesterday and wanted to come here and kick some ass!"

"I see," Kurama said, knowing full well it was a lie and why Yusuke was back. Things must have gone horribly wrong with Keiko, if he was back here.

"Well, Hiei's out. How about it, Kurama?"

"Not now, I'm afraid. I have to get back and take care of a few things."

"Well geez, a lot of fun you guys are," Yusuke said, crossing his arms.

"I wouldn't mind going a round or two, Yusuke," Yomi said.

"Alright!" he said, cheering up instantly. Kurama sighed. How wonderful it must be to simply escape your problems that way.

A buzzing sound came from Mukuro's pocket, drawing everyone's attention. She reached in and pulled out a small communicator, holding it up to her ear.

_"This is patrol seven-nine-C! We're under attack! We're at portal three-five-seven! Is anyone listening?"_

"This is Mukuro. How many are there?"

_"At least twenty. We've taken out a few of them but they're really strong and we're losing!"_

"Can you hold out until we get there?"

_"Maybe another few minutes. They're all wearing the same outfit and their attacks are coordinated. This isn't the typical group of yokai that just want to get through! They have some kind of goal."_

"We'll get there as soon as we can. Did you get any of that, Hi-" Mukuro started, turning to find out that Hiei was already gone. She sensed him moving at top speed, already several miles distant.

"Gentlemen, some other time," she said, phasing in turn.

"I have to get back to Ningenkai, _now,_" Kurama said, alarm in his voice. "There's nobody on the other side to stop them if they get through."

"I'll go with you, Kurama," Yusuke said, his sparring match with Yomi forgotten. "Where does that portal come out?"

Kurama thought hard for a few seconds. "The park, I believe."

Yusuke's eyes widened. "That's not good! There are going to be a ton of people there this weekend!"

"I know," Kurama said as he started running down the stairs as fast as he could. Yusuke and Yomi flanked him.

"Hiei should be able to handle most of them," Yusuke said, the wind rushing by his ears.

"That's true, but if even one of them slips through, it could mean trouble."

"Shall we postpone our training until another time, Yusuke?" Yomi said.

"I appreciate the offer of assistance, but please, I am more than capable of handling this on my own. I took down three last night and they hurt a friend of mine."

"Oh?" Yusuke said, leaping over a ditch. "You didn't mention any of that last night!"

"It happened on the way home. I'll tell you about it later! For now, don't worry about me. I can handle this myself."

"Are you sure?" Yusuke said. Yomi refrained from saying anything, knowing that once Kurama made his mind up, there was no changing it.

"Yes." Kurama looked back over his shoulder. "Enjoy your match, and blow off some steam, Yusuke. I know you need to."

Yusuke came to a stop when he said that. _Damn, that Kurama is way too perceptive._

Yomi stopped as well. "He'll be alright, don't you think?"

"Ah, whatever. Let him do whatever the hell he wants. Where do you want to go for our little rematch?"

Kurama was already out of sight, and Yomi was intrigued by what he had just said to Yusuke.

_Very well, if you need to blow off some steam, I'll be happy to oblige._

_

* * *

_  
Otoyo laughed as she pulled the blade of energy from the chest of the yokai she had just killed. Blood hissed and sputtered on the blade, turning into a dark steam. This was so much fun!

The area around them had become a fierce battle. There were about ten members of the patrol when the twenty-five of them had ambushed it. A few members had taken to the air and were battling the members of her group that could fly, while the rest battled on the ground in a flurry of physical and energy attacks. Seven of the original ten were left, and a few of her own soldiers had fallen as well.

A large explosion ripped through the ground next to her, and she turned to see five of her companions incinerated by the blue shockwave. She threw up a shield around herself to deflect the remaining blast as she saw the source. Up high in the air, Otoyo saw a male yokai, one of Enki's lackeys, his palm extended, breathing heavily as a thin trail of smoke wove its way through his fingers.

That idiot almost hit me! She thought in righteous indignation. As she was figuring out what technique she should use to kill him, a blue blur phased behind him, wrapping a beefy arm around his neck, snapping it instantly. The patrolman went limp, and fell the hundred yards to the ground.

A scream sounded behind her and she turned, seeing another yokai dissolving in a red light. She laughed and jumped up into the air when she saw the victor was on her side.

A quick assessment. Five defenders left. About three times as many in her own group, including her. All five regrouped and formed a small knot on the ground, facing outward at the ring of adversaries around them.

"This will never work!" one of them shouted. "What can we do?"

"We have to hold out until the others get here!"

"What do you suggest?"

_It won't matter,_ Otoyo thought gleefully as she placed her hands together to start a chant.

The ground around the five turned black as she started to speak. For a flash, the area around them was devoid of all colors except for various shades of red and orange.

"What was _that?_" One of them said. "This strange chill…"

"Focus, damnit!"

Otoyo gained their attention by laughing, her high pitched voice causing them all to look up.

"Welcome to my territory!" she said with a wink.

"Your _what?_"

"Hey, what the hell? I can't move!" a bloodied woman said in frustration. Cries of struggle sounded out as the group learned indeed that they couldn't move, no matter what they tried.

"It doesn't matter what it is, it just matters that you can't move!"

The ring around the defenders broke out into smiles.

"Now be good dears and try not to hurt them too much when you kill them, okay?"

* * *

Kurama was running as fast as he could the way he had come, back towards the portal he entered Makai through. He saw it up ahead, and the group of yokai entrusted with its care. The black void was the size of a door, encased in a shrine that was surrounded by guards. They stopped him as he skidded to a halt in front of them, winded and breathing heavily. 

"What's your business?" The guard said.

"There's about to be an attack in Ningenkai. You have to let me through!"

"What do you mean?"

"One of your patrols is being overrun by a different portal. If they fall, they'll attack my home, and I will not let that happen!"

"What patrol is it?" The other guard said, pulling out a communicator from his pocket.

"Seven-nine-C."

The yokai nodded, and spoke into the device. "Seven-nine-C, seven-nine-C, what's your status?"

There was nothing but static on the other end.

"Seven-nine-C, please respond."

Nothing but more static. The two guards turned to Kurama with a look of alarm.

"Hiei and Mukuro are on the way but I'm the only one that can stop them in Ningenkai if any get through!"

The guards nodded, stepping to one side to let Kurama pass. He ran up the stairs and flung himself into the black void without a moment's hesitation.

* * *

"Aw, no more?" Otoyo said with a pout. The heap of bodies on the ground was testament to the fact there were no survivors from the patrol. There weren't even any techniques she wanted to absorb. 

She landed and straightened her hair with her hand. Her companions were smiling in a perverse glee, glad for the killing.

_Mindless oafs, the lot of them._

Now, with nobody to stand in their way, they could easily enter the portal at the end of the short flight of stairs. After that, a quick trip through the pseudospace to a separate portal leading into Ningenkai. Then, to find their target.

"Okay everyone, let's-"

A cold chill started up her spine, stopping her.

A _huge_ amount of yoki approaching. An A-class and an S-class. There was no way she would be able to take either of them on.

Damnit, she had spent too much time here! With them on their way, there would be no way they would all be able to get through.

"Otoyo? What's wrong?" a particularly ugly yokai grunted at her. He had noticed a small bead of sweat on Otoyo's brow, moving down the side of her face to break apart into smaller rivulets that traced the scales on her cheek.

_None of them know what's coming…_

Without another word, Otoyo shimmered, and suddenly, she was no longer there.

"What? Where did you go?"

* * *

Even before he reached it, his sensitive nose picked up on the yokai blood. Hiei was bounding from tree to tree, his skin flushed slightly from the friction with the air. Up ahead, he saw the shrine that housed the portal, and the heap of bodies around it. All of them wore the uniforms of the patrollers. A few of them had on blue tunics, now purple from the blood. 

Good. They hadn't started to enter the portal yet, from what he could tell. There were no bloody footprints moving up the stairs, and the doors were closed.

Even better, was that there were a few of them left. Hiei counted a little over a dozen.

He landed on the ground among them, startling them and causing them all to take a step back.

"Who the hell are you?" one of them spat at him.

"Your executioner," Hiei said, quick and to the point.

Three of them around him laughed. Hiei scanned the area around him. Some of them were his size, yet most were larger. He counted fourteen of them to be exact.

In a flash, he drew his katana and fell the three nearest him as their screams sounded out. He lowered the blade towards the ground as he crouched. He had moved so fast, that there was no blood on it. Three heavy wet thuds were heard as his victims fell to the ground, never to rise again.

All the other yokai stopped laughing, except the one who had addressed him originally.

"So you're good with a sword, who cares, little man?"

"You think I rely on this piece of steel?" Hiei said, standing up.

"I bet without it, you're nothing," the yokai said as he stood up and crossed his arms.

Hiei smirked. "Fine. I'll kill all of you in one attack without using the sword even once."

Smiling, he threw his katana straight up in the air, causing it to twirl and whistle. The bandages around his right arm exploded and burned away in a black flame, as his bandanna around his Jagan dissolved in the same way.

The other yokai took a step back, his eyes wide open with fear, as Hiei phased straight up into the air, drawing his fist back.

"_Jaō ensatsu kokuryuha!_" he shouted out, the last syllable transforming into an ear shattering roar from the black dragon that leapt from his outstretched arm. The targets on the ground started running away in every direction, screaming in terror. Too little, too late.

The dragon smashed into the ground with enough force to shake it, splitting off into violent tendrils of black fire that scorched everyone and everything they touched. The yokai shrieked horribly as they were literally melted from the ground up, as the fire found them and consumed them.

As quickly as it began, it was over. The scorched earth around the shrine smoked as the flames disappeared, the burned corpses giving off a horrible stench.

Thirteen new corpses. One seemed to have gotten away…

Hiei landed on the blackened ground, pulling out the scabbard of his katana and holding it in the air, open end pointing up. The blade that he had thrown into the air mere moments before reappeared from the sky with a whistle, and landed perfectly within its sheath.

"Did you have to do _that_ to them?" Mukuro said, walking from behind the cover of a scorched tree.

"I didn't want to waste any time."

"I can see that. Did any get through the portal?"

"No, none that I can see," Hiei said. "One of them got away. I don't know what he looked like, but he was definitely faster than the others."

"Want to go look for him?"

"Not really," Hiei said. "I want to leave this to the clean up crew before I'm driven mad by the reek of blood."

"If you put a little more power into it, there would be nothing left."

"I would have destroyed the shrine if I used any more. And their deaths would have been more…painless."

Mukuro shook her head. "I don't sense anyone else around here, do you?"

"No, I don't. They seemed organized. Do you know who they were?"

"Blue tunics with yellow sashes? Not ringing a bell to me."

Hiei walked over to one of the bodies that had been burned beyond recognition and bent down. He assumed he was near the creature's head because a small piece of silver gleamed. It was an ear stud.

He picked it up and examined it closely. It was a wolf's head, its mouth opened and its fangs bared.

"What is that?"

"Nothing of importance," he said, but something compelled him to put it in his pocket instead of throwing it away. "Are we through here?"

"After you," Mukuro said in jest with a bow.

"Hn."

With that, they both took off in the direction they came, leaving the mess to the next ones who would discover it.

* * *

Otoyo coughed as she reappeared, sprawled out on the ground, covered in dirt. The shockwave from that attack had blown her back, and she couldn't form a shield without being detected by whoever it was that just attacked and wiped out her group in a single blow. 

She knew that she was the most important one to the mission, and she could not be discovered. She could not be killed.

Even if it meant the death of everyone else. Not that she cared about them too much anyway. They always treated her horribly. None of them knew the ulterior motive behind this little escapade was to ensure that she was the only one that got through. Once they got through, she would have killed them anyway.

She stood up, brushing herself off. She had used on of her natural techniques, the first one she had ever mastered. As a chameleon yokai, she was not only able to disappear completely from the naked eye, she was able to drop her yoki energy to nearly zero, unable to be picked up by anyone unless they were within a few feet.

Thankfully, the fire-wielder hadn't seen her. She wiped the dirt off her forehead, but only succeeded in creating a smudge on it instead. She gave a frustrated sigh.

It would take her forever for her to get the stuff out of her hair.

She tiptoed around the still smoking bodies of defenders and attackers alike, finally coming to the base of the shrine. She closed her eyes, and did a quick scan of the area.

The only ones she could pick up were the fire-wielder and the woman, and they were beating a hasty retreat in the other direction.

She ran up the steps two at a time, and threw open the door. At the end of a short corridor lit by torches, she saw the portal. A void of swirling darkness, tinged with red electrical bursts on its outer edges. Her shadow disappeared in its blackness, and for a small instant, she felt afraid at what she was seeing.

The gateway to a world she had only heard about and never seen…

No time for that! Once they were successful, they would have all of Makai and soon after, all of Ningenkai as well…

Otoyo slammed the door behind her to hide the fact she had been there, and leapt through the portal and into darkness.

* * *

End of that chapter! Been really busy lately with my job and now I am a wanted criminal! I can't seem to shake that fact but we should be fine. 

Felt like having Hiei kick some ass. Oh! Please Read and Review! I have a new AIM screenname right now, it's called **EurobeatJester**.

I love reading the reviews and they are really motivating me to continue with this story. Until next time, ta ta for now!


	13. Target Sighted

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Gonna try to get a new chapter done quickly. Things are starting to pick up. How do you all like the plot so far? I hope you enjoy it. I'm going to twist the heck out of it before it's all said and done. Been WAY too busy to update. I'm back at my old job, and my car asploded the other night.

Back to Ningenkai.

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares **

**Chapter Thirteen: Target Sighted**

"Aww, come on you two, it's not that bad!" Kuwabara stated, seeing the look of surprise and disgust on the faces of the two girls.

"I admit, it certainly shows off your, um…physique," Keiko stuttered.

"Yeah, baby!" the orange haired dynamo said, striking a few poses in front of the mirror.

"It does make you look handsome, Kazuma."

Keiko flustered. "You have _got_ to be kidding, Yukina! There is no _way_ I'll be seen with him wearing that thing in public!"

"But nobody else will see us. We're just going to the beach out by Genkai's."

Keiko flushed even more furiously. "That's not the point!"

"Come on ladies! Kuwabara, captain of team stud!"

"Take that off, _now._"

Kuwabara turned to face her. "Oh come on Keiko, you've never seen a Speedo before?"

"Kuwabara…"

"What do you think, Yukina?"

"It's an interesting garment."

"Yeah!" he said, beaming. "I need to work on my tan! I've been spending too much time indoors studying for those stupid exams."

"Look, I just don't think it's proper for anyone to wear something like that, much less you. It doesn't leave anything to the imagination!"

"That's the point," he said with a grin.

"That's it. You're officially qualified as a very bad person." Keiko said, throwing up her hands and walking away from the other two. Thank God nobody else had seen the display occurring in the back of the surf shop.

"Why are you so uptight all of the sudden? You never had a problem with Yusuke squeezing your boobs or flipping your skirt. You even spent the night at his house two days ago!"

"…"

"Ahh! Stay away from me!"

* * *

"How's your lip, Kazuma? Better?"

"Yeth, it's buch better," Kuwabara said, holding the cold compress up to the side of his face. Keiko had hit him square in the jaw, and split his lip in the process. After that, they had left the shop, but not before Kuwabara decided to (wisely) buy a pair of traditional board shorts.

Yukina, indispensably cheerful as always, was dragging the other two through virtually every store in the mall. They had covered all of the second floor and part of the first, when Kuwabara noticed the flower shop off on the left.

"Hey, lets go see if Kurama is there!" he said, oblivious to his swollen jaw.

"Kuwabara, wait!" Keiko started to tell him, but he was already gone.

"Hey, Shuuichi!" Kuwabara yelled, sticking his head in the front door. Noriko was there, reading the paper. She looked up at him.

"Oh, hello Kuwabara. Where's your better half?"

"Who, Shuuichi? He's not here?"

Noriko folded the paper and put it aside, right as the two girls walked into the shop after catching up with Kuwabara.

"No, he isn't. He has a few days off. Why hello there, Keiko!"

"Noriko-san! Good to see you," Keiko said, giving a small bow.

"And who is this young lady?" Noriko said, looking over her glasses at the blue haired beauty that was timidly looking around at the different arrangements.

"Oh, this is a friend of ours, Yukina."

The ice yokai turned at the sound of her name, realizing for the first time that there was someone new in the shop. She bowed apologetically, her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Pleased to meet you."

"So how is Shuuichi?" Noriko said. "He said he was going to a party with you two last night. Did you lose track of him this morning?"

Kuwabara slapped his head. "Oh man, I forgot all about what he said he was going to do today."

Noriko raised an eyebrow. "Did you have _that_ much of a good time?"

The orange haired teen laughed.

"So Keiko, how was it to see your boyfriend again? I bet it was a real joy to see him after the years he was away."

Keiko visibly stiffened while Kuwabara sweatdropped, instantly shutting up. It took her a second to answer, but when she did, she answered with a tight smile. "It was good to see him again."

"Uhoh," Noriko said, leaning forward an putting her elbows on the table. "Didn't go as planned, did it?"

Keiko didn't answer, and Noriko dropped the subject. The awkward silence that followed was accompanied only by the ambient noises of the mall in the background.

After a few tense, painfully long seconds, Kuwabara broke the silence.

"Do you think Shuuichi is back yet? We should give him a call and see what he's doing the rest of the day. Do you think he wants to go to the beach with us?"

"That's a good idea, Kazuma!" Yukina said, bubbly as ever.

"Noriko, it was good to see you again," Keiko said, bleeding tension from every core in her body. She turned and walked back after giving a short bow, forcing the other two to follow her.

Kuwabara and Yukina were rushing to catch up to her when Kuwabara's cellphone went off. All three stopped while he dug it out of his pocket.

The caller ID said that it was his home. He opened the phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Sis?"

"Hey bro. You okay? You aren't home yet."

"Just doin' some shopping with the laides."

"I see. Look, don't take this the wrong way, but is Kurama with you guys? He didn't answer his phone earlier and I'm looking for him."

"Nuh uh, haven't seen him all morning. I thought he walked you home?"

"Yeah he did, but something bad happened last night and I saw him again," Shizuru said, with just enough edge in her voice to imply that something went horribly wrong.

Kuwabara's face turned serious, Yukina and Keiko sensing his change in demeanor almost instantly.

"Were you hurt?" he asked. Yukina gave a small gasp.

"No, I wasn't, but someone else was. Seems Kurama has a friend who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She got beat up pretty badly and spent the night here."

"What the heck happened?"

"Some yokai caused some trouble. Kurama stopped them. I don't know what to do with this girl…"

A beeping noise sounded in Kuwabara's ear. He pulled the phone back for a second, and looked at the screen. There was an incoming call from Kurama. _Speak of the devil…_he thought as he placed the phone back to his ear.

"Sis, I got Kurama on the other line. Can I call you back?"

"Tell him to call me, okay?"

"You got it," Kuwabara said, walking towards a corner of the mall and motioning for the other ladies to follow him. He punched a button on the phone to hang up on Shizuru and ended up connected with Kurama.

_"Kuwabara!"_ Kurama's voice bled through the earpiece. _"Where are you?"_ The urgency in his tone was unmistakable.

"Kurama?" he said, cupping his other hand around his unoccupied ear to pick up everything his friend was saying. "What's wrong?"

_"We've got a big problem! Where are you?"_

"I'm at the mall with Yukina and Keiko. What happened?" he asked, looking at the suddenly scared faces of the two ladies with him.

_"Not good,"_ Kurama said under his breath. _"There's been a breach at the border. The portal they went through opens on the other side of town from where you are."_

Kuwabara's face went white. "How many were there?"

_"I don't know. Hiei went to handle them from the Makai side and I'm going to do my best to take care of any that actually make it through."_

"How powerful would they be?"

_"I don't know,"_ Kurama said. Kuwabara could hear a car honking in the background. _"They could be B-class or stronger. They would have to be if a group of them gave the patrol difficulties."_

"What is it, Kazuma?" Yukina said, tugging on his sleeve. Keiko had turned pale as well.

"What do you want us to do, Kurama? Do you need help?"

_"Not yet, Kuwabara. I need to see what the situation is. I'll call you in a few minutes, I'm a few miles from the park and running as fast as I can. You wouldn't be able to get here as soon as I can. I'm just glad you aren't in the area."_

"Okay then. I'll make sure they're safe. Don't worry. Shizuru is looking for you, something about a friend of yours that got hurt?"

_"I'll call her as soon as I'm done here,"_ Kurama said. Then the line went dead.

Kuwabara was still in shock as he closed his phone. Keiko and Yukina practically mauled him trying to get the information as to what was happening out of him.

* * *

Deep inside a wooded grove in the park, a blinding flash of light appeared out of nowhere. A rushing noise was heard, as the very fabric of existence opened momentarily, revealing blackness as deep as the darkest night. The edges of the hole gave off their own aura, sparking as it contacted the air around it. A figure emerged from it, tendrils of darkness clinging, as if desperate to retain their hold. Finally giving up, they relented as the young yokai tore her way through.

Otoyo hit the ground, immediately shimmering to become invisible. The portal snapped shut behind her, the latent energy dissipating in a cloud of sparks.

She shook her head, anxious to clear it, fighting back a dizziness. The trip through the psuedospace had been very disorienting one…

_Move away from the portal,_ she told herself. She looked around quickly, instantly overwhelmed by everything. The sights, the smells, the vibrant colors that were nowhere to be found in Makai…this was her first trip to Ningenkai.

She had to get out of the area. She felt exposed here…but she couldn't phase or move too quickly. She didn't want to put out yoki, or do anything that would hasten her chances of being discovered.

She bolted towards the edge of the park, out from the cover of the bushes. The only indication she was there were the grass that mysteriously flattened with her footfalls.

There! Off on the other side of the main road, there was an alleyway. It looked different from what she was used to in Makai but thing here must function the same, right?

In a flash, she leapt over the road, the cars, and the people gathered there, materializing as she reached the shadows of the alley.

She let out a sigh of relief. Okay. One objective down. I'm here…

Standing up, she looked around. Well, it didn't seem _too_ different from Makai…there were trashcans in the alley. At least that was the same…

She almost felt bad that she had no time to stay. It would have been fun to explore for a while. First things first.

She closed her eyes, sensing out the city. In her minds eye, she still saw everything clearly, although translucent. She saw glowing figures, some more prominent than others, but none that were giving off anything more than negligible. The stronger the person's reiki, the brighter they glowed.

She furrowed her brow and extended her range. The horizons zoomed towards her, a continual soft light blending at the edges of her vision. Background noise from those stupid ningens…

_Aha…_she thought. _This is interesting…_

A few splashes of burgundy accompanied by even fewer bright red stars showed up as she methodically focused on each area around her. _Yoki. So there were some yokai living here after all…_

It made sense that they would exert enough energy to be sensed. Normal humans couldn't be bothered by anything, but other yokai would know when someone stronger was in the area so they would know not to start any trouble. Those ningens that would feel something would do nothing, and those that were strong enough to do something would end up having some meaningful dialogue and reach an understanding, of sorts…

Speaking of which… 

Otoyo picked up a few bright blue signatures, symbols of ningens that would have a higher spiritual awareness and more reiki, whether they knew how to use it or not. One of them was her target, somewhere out there…

Panning around her, she was suddenly floored by a _huge_ presence of reiki outside the city limits. Upon regaining her composure, she focused on it further, and breathed a sigh of relief. Most of it seemed to be coming from the ground itself, with possibly one or two actual beings inside the area. Probably a shrine or dojo of some kind.

_He might be there, but there's no way I'm going there unless I have to._

Right side! _What was that?_

B-class coming up fast…this red star was so bright it had it's own aura around it. And it was getting closer, way too quickly to be coincidence…

Suddenly, everything zoomed back to normal. Colors returned as Otoyo opened her eyes, returning to normal. She didn't want whatever that was to notice her while she was sensing!

* * *

Kurama closed his cellphone, not even pausing as he kept running through the crowd toward the park. People stared at the youth as he ran past in a whirlwind of white shirt and red hair.Too many people around…if something gets through… 

Kurama sprinted faster, exerting a good deal of yoki from his body as a beacon. _Hopefully, whatever came through will not be stronger than me and be scared off by my presence. When he does that, I can track him down…_

He rounded the last corner, the cobblestones underneath him giving way to the border of the park around him. He stopped as he saw…

…absolutely nothing. He stood there, panting for a few seconds, confused.

Did Hiei kill them all? 

Kurama closed his eyes, frantically searching for any traces of yoki. He breathed in deeply, trying to pick up the scent of any yokai that would have made it through.

He didn't sense or smell anything, but couldn't seem to shake the strange feeling he had. He opened his eyes again, scanning the faces of the people around him. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary…a father carrying his son on his shoulders, the boy beaming enthusiastically as he waved his hands in the air…a woman feeding the birds from a park bench…a group of children trying to race paper sailboats in the lake…

Everything was normal…

"Are you okay?" he heard a voice next to him say. He turned and saw an elderly woman looking up at him. Kurama realized that he must look like a mess. Beads of sweat clung to his flushed face, and his breathing still hadn't calmed down completely.

"I'm fine," he answered, straightening up and relaxing. "I thought I saw someone I knew, and was trying to catch them. My mistake, it seems…"

The older woman seemed to accept this answer, smile, and went on her way.

Kurama's eyes narrowed, scanning the park one last time before he turned around and started walking back.

* * *

That was close…

Otoyo was hiding in the alley, out of sight. She was passively sensing, hoping to hell she wasn't picked up. Whoever that was, he was moving away now.

Or was it a trap?

No. She wasn't found out. She let out a breath she had been holding for nearly a minute and a half.

Okay…now to business. She remembered Ryominaka's words to her. Her target was simple. The wielder of the _jigen-to_ would emit a special aura. One that would be different from the others, but might be a little difficult to pick up on since it wasn't nearly as strong as it once was.

"_I sensed that power years ago. Right here, in Makai. But I didn't think it belonged to a mere ningen. After all these centuries, not a single yokai has been known to have that ability. Find him, Otoyo. It won't be too hard."_

After calming down for a few minutes, to make sure whoever was searching for her was gone, she began to actively sense. The one she was scared of had walked a good distance away, blending in with the background, no longer actively pursuing, if it at all…

She stretched her senses to the limit, beginning a slow sweep of the city that stretched for miles…she could barely pick up anything at those distances, but she still tried. She didn't want to move and alert anyone that she was there.

_Wait_, she thought, going back and doing a double take on a hazy signal. _That _can't_ be right…why do I sense yoki _and_ something else? Is that what I'm looking for?_ It couldn't be right. She was looking for a ningen, not a yokai…

She focused all her attention on that one spot, the signals and ambience around them becoming clearer.

There! Two figures together! So that was it. One giving off yokai energy, and the other giving off the exact energy she was looking for! It felt a lot like reiki, but tinged with something different entirely.

A grin spread across her face. She simply had to get to him…but how?

As if by divine intervention, an answer presented itself. An angry woman appeared at the mouth of the alley, in the middle of a rather heated discussion with whoever was on the other end of her cellphone. She was wearing a business outfit consisting of a woman's blazer and a miniskirt, almost too short to be deemed appropriate. Her long brown hair covered half her face and the phone she had pressed to her ear. She was quite attractive.

Perfect… 

Otoyo shimmered, turning herself invisible once more. The woman was so engaged in the conversation she was having, she didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

So sorry for the long pause guys. Hope you liked this one. I'll try to update more, honest!

Please review! And check out my other fic, "Trading Hells." I wrote it as kind of an experiment, letting my mind wander while writing it. Completely different than the tone of this story.


	14. Red Pill or Blue Pill?

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Time for a new chapter. Sorry for the long wait, but thank you for the reviews! I've been so busy with everything and haven't been able to write. Sorry for the Matrix reference, I just couldn't help myself. :evil grin:

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Fourteen: Red Pill or Blue Pill?**

"Hana, are you feeling alright?" Shizuru called up the stairs, after ending the call with her brother. The girl had not come down from Kuwabara's room yet, but then again, herself and Hana had stayed up talking for a while, and Shizuru had given her some very powerful medications to stave off any pain in her arm.

"I'm fine! Just making the bed…" Hana yelled back.

Shizuru laughed. "Wow, finally, someone besides _me_ makes the bed, God knows Kazuma doesn't do it…" she grumbled as she started upstairs. Reaching the landing, she turned the corner and appeared in the doorway.

Hana was there, tucking in the last corner of the blanket, moving swiftly and efficiently with her hand. Shizuru raised her eyebrow, watching in disbelief.

"Wow," the older woman said. "I can't believe you were able to do that all by yourself, with your arm in a sling…" Hana jumped, turning around to face the door. Her arm was still useless in front of her, underneath the light cotton top Shizuru had let her borrow.

"Oh," she said, blushing slightly. "I've had my arm in a sling before, and I learned to be really good with only one hand…"

"May I ask why?" Shizuru inquired, leaning against the door frame.

"It was a car accident, a long time ago. I couldn't use my arm for a few months…" she said, her voice trailing off as her eyes scanned the room. The typical computer, the bookcase, all of the other amenities. Here eyes fell upon a picture resting in a frame, of a group of people together. She walked over to it, Shizuru following her gaze.

"Hey, its Shuuich-, er, Kurama," she said, picking up the frame and scrutinizing the picture inside. She saw six people in it, Kurama in the back. There was a smiling boy to his left, with orange hair grinning at the camera, a bandage on his left temple. Two girls were in front of him, a brown hair girl with a semi blank look on her face, and a girl with longer blue hair grabbing onto her shoulders with a big smile. To the right of them, in front of Kurama, a boy with black hair was giving a triumphant smirk to the camera, giving a thumbs-up, and to his right was a shorter one, with wild black hair streaked with white above his headband, looking away from the camera, as if something were on the ground in front of him off to the side.

"Is one of these people your brother?" Hana asked, noticing Shizuru had walked up behind her. "I recognize Kurama, but he looks a little younger in this picture…"

"That old thing? I took that picture a few years ago." Shizuru said, bending over to get a closer look. It was a picture she had taken of them all, after the old tournament against Toguro. "That's my brother, right there," she said, pointing at Kuwabara. "These are some of our wonderful, mutual friends," she finished with a slight bit of embellishment.

"What's up with the goth kid?"

Shizuru stifled a laugh. "Never let him hear you say that. I threw your fuku and other clothes into the washing machine, they should be ready to go in an hour or so. Unless you're fine with wearing pajamas when Kurama gets back here."

"No no no, that's alright. But thank you…for this, I mean…this is all so kind of you. I mean, you don't even know me, and you just took me in…" Hana said.

"Well, we've dealt with this kind of thing before," Shizuru said, placing a hand on Hana's good shoulder. "I don't think they'll come after you again, so you don't need to worry about that."

"Right, like _that's_ supposed to make me feel better about walking on the streets at night."

"It wasn't supposed to because it never could, actually. You sleep well?" Shizuru asked, turning back towards the doorway. "If you're hungry, I guess we could cook something. Should be some food in this house somewhere…"

Hana started to follow Shizuru as she made her way down the stairs. "I'm okay, except for the occasional nightmare last night."

"That's normal. Come on, let's eat. Can't take narcotics on an empty stomach.

* * *

"Kuwabara, what the hell is going on?" Keiko demanded.

"Is Kurama all right?" Yukina asked, her voice full of concern.

Kuwabara stepped back from their combined onslaught. "I think he has things under control…there's been trouble in Makai that might spill over."

Yukina's hands flew to her mouth in shock. "Oh no!"

"Where is he?"

Kuwabara put his cellphone away, on guard and anxiously looking around for any signs of trouble. "You two stay close. I don't sense anything, but we might have a problem if anything gets to this world…"

"What did Kurama say?"

"He should be calling us back as soon as he checks it out. He can handle himself, don't worry."

* * *

Shizuru's phone rang.

"Give me just a minute, okay?" She asked Hana, picking up the few dishes on the table as she made her way to the sink. Depositing them neatly, she took a minute to wipe her hands on a towel before she picked up the phone.

"Kuwabara residence."

_"Shizuru!"_ Kurama's voice sounded on the other end._ "Is everything alright?"_

Shizuru turned to Hana at the table, and quietly excused herself into the next room so her conversation wouldn't be overheard.

"Yeah, I was curious as to what's going on, and how the meeting went."

_"Everything went well, as far as the meeting goes. However, not much else did. There was trouble in Makai and we were scared some yokai would have made it through."_

"They didn't, did they?" Shizuru asked, with concern.

_"I didn't sense anything. Did you?"_

"No, I didn't. Kazuma's with the girls at the mall, where are you at?"

_"The park. This is where the portal they were attacking leads. Hiei went to handle them on the Makai side and I suppose that he accomplished his goal."_

"So three-eyes isn't with you then, is he?"

_"No. I didn't even get around to asking him to come back with me. Speaking of which, how is Hana?"_

"She's doing better this morning, but she's still in a lot of pain."

_"That's better. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get around to bringing back any medicinal aids."_

"What are the plans for later? I know Keiko, Kazuma and Yukina were going down to the beach later. Should we meet them? If we do, Yukina can just heal Hana." Shizuru pondered aloud.

_"That's one possibility, but are you certain it would be a good idea to drag her in any deeper into this whole situation?"_

"I thought we agreed it wasn't an issue."

_"_My_ recollection is that we discussed it."_

"And she seems to be holding up very well, Kurama."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds, followed by a sigh._ "You're right."_

"Can you call my brother back? I know he's going to be really worried if he can sense what's going on."

_"Everything seems clear here, so I'll call him as soon as I get off the phone with you."_

"Did you want to try to meet with everyone at the beach later?"

_"I can meet with you and Hana on my way home, but I have obligations tonight."_

"Busy man. You going to let Hana buy you a coffee?"

Kurama laughed. _"Eventually, yes, I will."_

"Good, now that that's settled, what should I tell her?"

_"Tell her I'm on my way back. Is there any way that you can get Yukina and the others back to the house without making it seem like an emergency?"_

"I'll think of something. Did Yusuke show up to the meeting at all?"

_"Eventually. I think he's having a rematch with someone right now to blow off some steam."_

"I have to take off now, I left Hana in the next room alone. Call me if anything else comes up, okay?"

_"Of course."_

Shizuru hit the button on the phone to end the call. Turning around, she saw a nervous Hana in the doorway, biting her lip. Shizuru sighed.

"Don't you know better than to eavesdrop?"

Hana turned her face downward. "Well, I heard you were talking about me, so I was just worried if anything else were to happen to me."

Shizuru sighed again. _Well, might as well be honest_, she told herself.

"I have two questions for you, Hana. Kurama won't like this, but damn, even _he_ needs a kick in the ass sometimes." Shizuru moved over to the couch and motioned for Hana to do the same. She followed suit, and straightened out her skirt over her knees with her good hand.

Shizuru pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer in the end table and lit one, taking a deep drag from it.

"If I told you that there was someone who would be able to heal you, so your arm would be back to normal, would you want that?"

Hana looked down at the sling. After last night, and this morning, anything seemed possible. Healers were nothing new in the realm of fiction, and she was familiar with the concept.

"Why wouldn't I? It's not like I enjoy having my arm pinned to my chest, you know."

"Fair enough," Shizuru noted. "The second question is harder, but not the one I'm going to ask right now. How do you feel about the situation last night? The nightmares, and everything. You're still scared, aren't you," Shizuru stated. It was not an inquiry, it was a statement.

Hana shuddered at the memory, feeling the terror all over again of being ambushed in the graveyard. The breath of the yokai tickling her skin, feeling as if she was going to die. Being jerked up into the air, stabbing the beast with her knife as she defended herself.

And Shuuichi, no, _Kurama_ saving her.

She whispered in a soft voice, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

"If you could forget all about last night, would you?"

Hana's eyes locked on to Shizuru's. "What, like erase my mind? You, you can do that?"

"If you want us to, we can. You can forget all about last night. It would just be a blank spot in your memory, like you went out and partied and blacked out."

Hana laughed, brushing her bangs out of her eyes, then started laughing harder as something in the back of her mind clicked. Shizuru instantly became puzzled, and could only wait until she quieted down. Maybe I was wrong when I said we shouldn't erase her memories…

"I'm sorry," Hana said, wiping a tear from her eyes. "I just realized how funny this situation is." When Shizuru didn't smile back, Hana continued, giggling. "So, should I take the red or blue pill?"

Shizuru was puzzled for a few seconds, until she got the reference. "Oh god," she said, exasperated, as she slapped her hand to her forehead and couldn't help chuckling herself. This is going to be insane, she thought. "Don't call me that. I don't look good black, bald, or in leather," she said, laughing again. Eventually, both girls quieted down, and Shizuru asked Hana again.

"So kiddo, red or blue pill?"

"Which one is the one that wipes your memory?"

"Hell if I know. I only saw that movie once."

"Well, that's the one I don't want to take." Hana said. "I don't want to forget it."

"You sure?" Shizuru asked.

Hana nodded with conviction, then winced. "Yes on the other part, though," she said as her hand went to her shoulder.

"Sure thing, we can have that fixed up by this afternoon. Oh! I forgot your knife," Shizuru remembered, as she got up. "I think I left it on the kitchen counter," she said, leaving the room.

Hana had forgotten about it for the moment as well. She was skilled with one hand, but not _that_ skilled.

"Here it is. I hope you'll be able to put it on yourself later," Shizuru said, holding the sheath by the small braided belt that ran around it. "May I?"

Hana nodded, and Shizuru took the knife out of its sheath. The short blade gleamed in the light from the window.

"Interesting design," she said as she slipped it into her hand, her index finger through the loop of steel on the hilt. "Light as a feather. Where's you get it?"

"My father gave it to me, a while ago. He used to collect knives, and other types of weaponry as a hobby."

Shizuru raised an eyebrow. This was a practice that was frowned upon in Japan. "He had a collection of these?"

"Yes. It's an older blade too. It's been in the family for a very long time. It was actually made back in the Meiji era."

"That old, huh?" Shizuru said as she inspected it closer. The blade was immaculate, with the exception of a small notch near the tip.

"Yeah. It's funny, we thought it was lost. We were lucky to get it back," she remarked, holding out her good hand.

"Oh yeah? How'd that happen?" Shizuru said, giving the blade to Hana.

"My grandfather was a Zero pilot in World War Two. It was always tradition for members of the Emperor's pilots to have a sword with them every time they flew into a fight. My grandfather didn't have one, so he carried the knife instead.

"Well, one mission he flew against the Americans, and he had to ditch the plane in the water. He was rescued by an American trawler, and was taken as a prisoner of war. The knife was taken from him. He told me he was really scared, because they were told what the Americans would do to people that been captured. That they would be tortured, forced to live like animals, and all that. But he was really surprised when they treated him like a human. He even made friends with one of them, in the camp, from one pilot to another."

Hana turned the knife over a few times, lost in the memory of her grandfather relating the story to her. After a few seconds, she continued.

"So when the war was over, my grandfather was permitted to come back to Japan. It wasn't until about ten years ago when something really neat happened. We received a package in the mail from America. It was from the son of my grandfather's friend. He had kept up communication with him for years after the war, and the way I was told, the son came across the knife one day. My grandfather's friend forgot all about it! So he had the knife shipped back to Japan. It had been fifty years, but to open it and see it again, my grandpa cried…"

"Wow," Shizuru said. "How'd you end up with it?"

"Grandfather died not long after, and my father…left it to me in his will."

Shizuru winced as Hana's voice fell. "I'm sorry."

Hana shook her head quickly before putting the knife down on the table on top of the sheath. "It's okay. I live with my aunt now. It's sad…she probably wouldn't even know I was gone last night," she said with a dark chuckle.

"Ouch."

Hana shrugged with her one good shoulder. "I should still call and let her know what's up. I'll just tell her I met some friends last night, went to a party and didn't feel safe walking home."

"You want to do that now?"

"In a little bit, yeah."

"Well, Kurama should be back soon, and I need to call my bro and have him come by, so we can get that arm taken care of."

"Can you do me one last favor, Ms. Kuwabara?"

"Call me Shizuru, and sure."

"I can't put the knife back in the sheath with one hand."

* * *

I am so sorry it has taken me a long time to update this. I have tried to rewrite this a few times, and finally am happy with the way it turned out.

I'm trying very hard not to have Hana's character fall into that of a Mary Sue. I want to introduce her to the group slowly, and there's no way she'll jump in and go "Hey everybody! Nice to meet you! I'm Hana!" and have everyone be like "Oh my god! We all love you!" etc. I HATE those types of fanfics. So I'm introducing her in the same way that characters were introduced in Yu Yu Hakusho. You never stop learning about them, their past is never revealed at once, and when they first come in, they are never the focal point – but merely a stimulus for more established characters to react to and further their _own_ stories.

Been going through a lot lately. Thank you for your continued support of this. It means a lot.

Till next time!

Kusanagi


	15. Target Found

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

DAMN, it's been a while since I updated this. A lot has happened in my life recently and I just have not had the time to sit down and write! Hopefully this will make up for it, it's my longest chapter yet with another one on the way after this one.

Time to advance the plot a little and actually cover some time lapse in here instead of real time!

Standard disclaimers apply. Enjoy!

* * *

** New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Fifteen: Target Found**

Kurama pulled out his phone and dialed Kuwabara's number. Kuwabara answered on the second ring.

_"Kurama, is everything all right?"_ Yukina's voice could be heard shouting in the background before Kuwabara had a chance to speak.

_"Kurama? What's going on?" _the gruff voice said. He heard another demanding voice in the background but could not make out what the speaker was saying. _"Damnit, Keiko, let me talk to him, let go of my arm…"_

Kurama started to relate what had just happened, but a truck driving by on the road kicked up wind and drowned out his voice. Holding his other hand to his ear, he quickly ducked down a back alley to try to alleviate the noise.

"I said, everything appears to be fine. I checked out the park but I didn't find anything suspicious or unusual. Have you sensed anything? Your awareness might have discovered something that mine could not."  
_  
"No, nothing here. Yukina didn't feel anything either."_

Kurama let out a sigh of relief, wiping a few beads of sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "I'm glad. It appears Hiei managed to stop them."

_"What are you doing now?"_

"I have to stop by and see your sister on the way home. There's a few things I need to talk with her about. I also need to check up on the girl that's injured there."

_"Sis mentioned something like that, but I still don't know what's going on,"_ Kuwabara started, the poor reception on the phone doing little to cut out the sounds of surprise in his voice.

"It's a long story, Kuwabara. She was injured last night during a yokai ambush and I saved her. She was hurt so Shizuru took her in. I need to meet with them to make sure she's alright. Call her for the details, she wants to hear from you about today's plans at any rate."

_"Okay, okay. Listen, we aren't going to stop by the house first, as soon as we get a bite to eat, we're going to go straight out to Genkai's. We have everything we need. Do you know anything about what's going on with Yusuke?"_

"No, I left Makai before I found out what he was going to do."

_"Alright, Kurama. See you later,"_ Kuwabara said before a beep indicated the call had ended.

Kurama closed the phone and slipped it back into the pocket of his jeans. It certainly seemed like everything was okay. There was no sense of yokai except for the constant background of the few that lived in the city. And there was no discernable reiki at all. He had tuned his senses to try to discover anything that was out of place in the park, and there was nothing.

Hiei had taken care of them. He must have. He would know when he was able to talk to the yokai this evening.

Kurama headed back onto the sidewalk, brushing shoulders with the throngs of people as he navigated a crosswalk heading to the train station. It wouldn't take him too long to get to the neighborhood where the Kuwabara residence was.

* * *

"Well I'm glad that nothing bad happened," Yukina said as she hugged Kuwabara's arm and gave it a tight squeeze. 

"Yeah," the orange haired teen laughed nervously. "Business as usual, I guess…"

"I see," Keiko trailed off. Oops, Kuwabara thought. I shouldn't have mentioned Yusuke…

"_So,_ ladies!" he exclaimed, trying desperately to lighten the mood. "Where do you want to go to eat?" The three of them started discussing as they headed towards the food court.

* * *

"Okay, kiddo," Shizuru said, stepping back and admiring her handywork. "Not too bad. The sling even matches the green in your skirt." 

Hana blushed slightly and mumbled her thanks. Shizuru had just helped her slip back into her fuku top as soon as it had come out of the dryer, then readjusted her arm to put it back in the sling.

"I hate wearing one of these things."

"Not for long, I hope. That reminds me, what do you plan on wearing to the beach today?"

"I'm sorry?"

"We're all meeting at the beach later. That's where you're going to get healed. Besides, you look like you need a miniature vacation.'

Hana stammered for a few seconds. "Well, I certainly can't go into the water wearing this, it kind of defeats the purpose…"

"Hang on, I think I might have a swimsuit you can borrow…" Shizuru said, heading towards the stairs. Hana recognized something important, and started to follow her. "I don't think you'll have one that will fit, will you? I mean, I couldn't wear your bra."

"I have a shirt you could tie a knot in. The bottoms should fit you just fine since my underwear did," Shizuru overriding her objection as she made it to the landing.

"The shirt, it's not white, is it?" Hana whined, staying at the door while Shizuru entered her room.

Shizuru laughed. "No, I have a black one. It's a workout shirt made out of the same material as most swim trunks, so your modesty will be preserved just fine…" The older woman started to dig through the bottommost drawer of her dresser.

"That's good. I'll be sure to wash and bring back everything you gave me…" Hana said, her voice losing enthusiasm by the end of the sentence.

"What do you have? My socks and underwear? Don't worry about it," Shizuru said, flipping the shirt in question onto the bed behind her. "Red or Blue?" she asked over her shoulder.

"I thought we had this discussion already."

"No, not that," Shizuru intoned. "I have two different two-piece swimsuits. Do you want to wear the red bikini bottom with the strings on the side one or the blue one with the normal elastic?"

"I'll take the normal one," Hana said, blushing. "I hope you don't plan on wearing the other one today."

"Nah, I only use that one for special occasions." Shizuru moved to the other end of the room with the closet and opened the door. "It's great for a Jacuzzi or a hot spring, but one big wave at the beach and everyone knows if you dye your hair." She pulled out a hanger with a green one-piece on it, and then set it down on the bed with the rest of the clothing she had picked out. "Hand me that duffel bag, would you? It's by the desk."

Hana looked down at the desk next to the door, and saw a brown duffel bag with the ever famous Domo-kun mouth and eyes on the side of it.

"How much did you pay for this?" she asked in disbelief.

"I didn't, it was free. You think I would pay for something like that?" Moving swiftly, she took the bag from a smiling Hana, and proceeded to dump the clothes unceremoniously into it. Just as she was zipping it up, the doorbell rang.

"Better not be another salesman," Shizuru growled. "We don't want any!" she shouted ahead of her as she started down the steps to the front door.

"I heard that!" Kurama's voice was heard, although muffled, through the other side of the door.

"Oops," she muttered to herself as she opened the door. "Sorry about that."

Kurama shook his head and laughed. "You two seem to be getting along, it seems," he noted, seeing Hana come down the stairs.

"Yeah, all things considered. Everything went okay? You aren't coming here to tell us we're in grave danger or anything, right?" Hana asked timidly, her face going pale and her heart skipping a beat.

"Everything is fine, don't worry. I just wanted to come along and check on you two."

"You coming to the beach with us?" Shizuru asked. "We're gonna go get her arm healed and tease my little brother in front of Yukina again."

"Can't you come up with something a little more original now? That old routine again…"

"If it isn't broken, don't fix it, right?"

"I suppose. Hana, how is your arm?"

The brown haired girl looked down at her wounded limb, wiggling the fingers experimentally. She sucked in air through her teeth in a sharp hiss when she tried to move her shoulder. "I still can't move it very much."

"That should be taken care of. What will you do after today?"

"Go home, I guess. I just need to tell my aunt I spent the night at a friend's house. And not visit the graveyard at night anymore."

"That's a good idea," Shizuru said. "We're all ready to go. Do you want to walk two fine lovely ladies to the train station?"

"Of course," Kurama said with a smile. "But not to the beach. Some other time, I'm afraid. I'm busy tonight."

"We going, then?" Shizuru asked, pulling the strap of the duffel bag up higher onto her shoulder.

* * *

Walking down the street, Otoyo was filled with a mix of wonder, bemusement, and even twinges of disgust. She was unfamiliar with Ningenkai, and was experiencing all the emotions coming with wandering a new place for the first time. 

She had read stories, talked with yokai that made the trip back and forth between the two worlds but had never been herself. Men turned their heads to look at her as she walked by, and for a moment she feared that she was visible to everyone, they could see her for what she was. A quick glance down at her own body relieved her suspicions; she had merely taken the form of the woman that she had encountered next to the alley. Otoyo did not kill her, but she did instantly drain her of all of the reiki that normal humans tend to possess. It put her to sleep, and she simply placed the unconscious woman in the dumpster. She knew better than to kill the woman. If she needed this guise for a while, then if the body was discovered they would post her picture all over the news, looking for those to identify her. A missing person took a lot more time to show interest in than a dead body.

She had been in this form for about half an hour as she walked down the street. As it was, she looked like a snazzy businesswoman, with legs that went on for miles, and a sport blazer that was tight in just the right places. "I think I rather like this form," she said in a mutter to herself. She was certainly getting the attention of everyone who saw her.

First order of business was to find the one she was after and get what she needed. Then, maybe she would have time to play.

But where to look first? She hadn't actively concentrated to scan since she first arrived, and whoever it was that came towards her made her recede in fear. She had sensed him in the middle of the city, so it had to be a populated area. She couldn't just take the time to stop and sense in the middle of the street. No, she would have to sit down in a relatively quiet area and focus.

Looking around, but still heading in the general direction, she looked for a place that would suit her tastes. Off to the side, by what would have been the train station, was a public bathroom. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought, but any place where she could get privacy was a good one.

Walking across the street with the horde of people brought her to the station. Slipping out of the wave of humanity, she quickly ducked into the bathroom, finding a stall and locking herself in.

_Okay,_ she thought. _Where is he?_

Closing her eyes, she saw everything in the backdrop of her mind as she did earlier. Currents of blue running like water resembling the passing reiki outside, a few brighter stars of reds and blues losing themselves in the swirling tides that ebbed and flowed around her.

Off to the outskirts of the city was that huge source of reiki that seemed to come out of the very ground. Thankfully, she was able to mask her own energy as absolutely invisible, or as reiki as she so chose. There were a few other things she could do with it, but not at the moment.

There! It was brighter this time, and closer, but moving away at a high rate of speed in the middle of a river that was moving quicker than most could run. The orange glow was accompanied by that same smaller one next to it. Suddenly it dawned on her.

_He was on a train! Where is it going?_

The snake of reiki she sensed was moving towards the outskirts of town, towards the very area she was hoping to avoid.

"Damn!" she said aloud, her eyes snapping open. She had to find him, if he was truly heading there. Even if he wasn't, she still needed to get to him, and soon.

She opened the stall door, and saw that nobody was there. Heading to the sink, she washed her hands absentmindedly, seeing as how she had no need to, and thought to herself.

If she reverted back to her normal self and then turned herself invisible, she should be able to make her way towards him with a great deal of speed, as long as she steered clear of anyone that might pick her up. Yes, that would be the best course of action. If he ended up heading towards that shrine, then she would have to figure out something else.

* * *

"Are you still hungry, Kazuma? You can have the rest of mine if you want." 

"Really? Thanks!" Kuwabara said, before taking the offering and digging in.

Keiko sighed and looked out the window at the rolling landscape that went by. They had boarded the train about half an hour ago after ordering their food to-go, planning to reach Genkai's with plenty of time to spare.

She closed her eyes and gave an annoyed sigh as she realized she was thinking about Yusuke. She couldn't help but wonder if he was all right.

"Oh, I got a call from my sister as we were boarding the train, she says she's on her way with a new friend."

"Really?" Keiko said, anxious to distract her thoughts. "Who?"

"Some girl that Kurama saved last night. I guess she was hurt and was hoping either Genkai or Yukina could heal her."

"I can try," Yukina stated. "My powers have gotten much stronger."

"Better than they used to be? Wow. You used to patch me up just fine after the fight against that Risho guy."

Yukina nodded. "But what about Genkai? Does she know that someone is coming?"

"No, I don't think so," Kuwabara said, dropping his voice. "I was hoping we wouldn't tell her and she wouldn't figure it out. I mean, I wouldn't want her to get mad we brought someone over uninvited."

"Kuwabara…" Keiko scolded, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"You got a better idea?" He asked defensively. "I don't want anything to happen to Yukina, there's a lot of yokai out there!"

"And I think we all know none of them are stupid enough to try something if they truly want to live and exist in this world," Keiko argued. Kuwabara didn't respond, and Keiko sighed again and looked out the window.

After a few seconds, Kuwabara said "Don't worry. I'm concerned about him too."

Keiko closed her eyes momentarily, stood up, and walked towards the back of the train where it was less crowded to find a new seat.

"Kazuma!" Yukina said angrily.

"What!?" He yelled. "What did I say this time?"

"You should be more worried about _her_ than Yusuke. She's really upset right now. We should be doing what we can to make her feel better," she said, before standing up to follow after Keiko.

_Damnit,_ Kuwabara thought. _I'll never understand women.  
_

* * *

She had been giving chase for about half an hour. Down the side alleys, phasing to the rooftops, running through various woods. Otoyo was invisible but did not want to run the risk of flying, or doing anything that would give away her position. That was certain. 

She had been heading in a more or less straight line, only taking the time to swerve when a stronger force was in the area. She stayed focused on her goal, all the time on the bright orange star in the horizon.

A star that was now definitely heading towards the backdrop of the reiki-charged land.

_Damn! I'm not going to reach him in time!_

She came to a stop as the realization hit her. Sweat trickled from her temple to her cheek, forming rivulets in the slight scale pattern there. Now what? She would never catch him in time now, not even if she put all of her energy into speed. She wasn't _that_ fast. She had always used her ability to hide and mask her energy as opposed to running.

All she needed was his blood. That was it. Just a little of blood! Why was this going to be so difficult.

What if he lived there? What if he turned into some sort of damned monk and decided to never leave that compound again? She couldn't enter it without a lot of her energy being useless, countered by the holy ground.

Perhaps she could sneak in and get him while he was sleeping? No, that wouldn't work either, she thought as she stopped, and allowed herself to become visible while she caught her breath. She was hidden among the trees, and there was nobody near her that she could sense.

Ryominaka wouldn't wait too long. They were so close to pulling this off. She would have to sneak in somehow…and wait for a chance.

_Sorry, 'naka. I'm trying here, but it's hard._

* * *

"How long will it take to get there?" Hana asked. 

"About forty-five minutes, give or take," Shizuru said, crossing her arms to relax. Kurama had seen them off at the train station a while ago. "We'll get there around two or so."

"Um, Shizuru?" Hana said meekly. "I knew Kurama from before but I don't want to seem like I'm intruding or inviting myself along on anything."

"Of course you aren't inviting yourself. _I'm_ the one inviting you along so don't worry about it. You need a vacation after last night."

"I wonder if Kurama will ever let me take him out for coffee to thank him," Hana said absently.

"Oh, he will, one way or the other. He's just really busy these days, as are all of us."

"What with? School?"

"Yes. He has a lot of studying to do now before exams, but he's pretty much a shoe in for whatever university he decides to go to. Last I heard, representatives were contacting _him_ to get him to apply. Kid's so smart, he's the one considering applications instead of the other way around."

"I see, well then he'll be thankful for the distraction. So who is there? Everyone from the photo?"

"Nah, only two. One of them is my brother. His crush is going to be there, along with the brown-haired girl. You'll also meet Genkai. She owns the property and has been a friend of ours for years."

"Sounds like fun. Who's the one who's going to heal me?"

"Either my brother's crush or Genkai. It depends."

"You know, until last night, I would have never believed such things were possible. I mean, you hear stories about tenshi and yokai and healers and other worlds, but you never really believe them. I still think I'm going to wake up from a dream."

"You're taking it well, I need to give you that much credit. It seems that most of us just had an 'Okay, so what?' attitude. We don't really care unless it interferes with our own lives, and for the most part it works both ways."

"Yeah," Hana said, trailing off. Silence descended for a few minutes.

"You're worried, aren't you?"

"Not so much about that, but what my aunt is going to do to me. She never really cared but disappearing for two days without saying anything…"

"Don't worry. I can step in and pretend to be almost any type of authority figure you need me to be if it comes down to it. If you want, we can just get you healed, and you can leave and forget this whole thing ever happened."

"I doubt _that_ will ever happen."

"Of course, then you'll have to forget that date with Kurama…"

Hana blushed out of reflex. "Hey, I'm just taking him out for coffee, I'm not asking him for a date!"

Shizuru was smiling, enjoying the reaction. "You like to tease, don't you?" Hana asked.

The older woman shrugged. "Sorry, I've had quite a lot of practice. Force of habit."

* * *

Otoyo yawned and stretched. She had been waiting for what seemed like an hour. Sure enough, her target had reached the shrine, and was inside it. She had no choice but to wait it out and catch him once he left it, if she decided to sneak into the compound. Or she would jump him the second he left. 

She hadn't sensed towards that area in some time, simply because it hurt her to focus on it, much the same way it hurt the eyes to look at the sun. It was early afternoon, judging from the position of the sun, and she was rapidly growing bored.

_Oh well, might as see what he's doing now, _she thought, closing her eyes and preparing to sense into the compound for the fourth or fifth time that day.

He wasn't in the shrine. Otoyo's eyes snapped open with alarm. Where did he go? He couldn't have gotten away that easy!

Closing her eyes again, she expanded the search to include the whole compound, and not just the shrine. If she lost him now, there might be a long search to find him again…

_There he is!_ She found him, still in the compound but considerably farther away. The shrine was between the two of them, but Otoyo didn't sense anyone farther out. What did that mean? If there was nobody else out there she could sense, then…

_Of course, the ocean, _she realized, smiling to herself. The dark area in her sensing would have to be the ocean. That meant that he was at the beach. It looked like the faint red star was still with him. _Are those two mated, or something?_

If he was at the beach, she might stand a chance! The reiki emanating from the ground wasn't nearly as strong there, and she could approach it from the outskirts of the compound, if she moved quickly, without crossing through it.

Perfect…she might have to deal with the other yokai when she got there. If she was trying to avoid detection, it should take her half an hour to circle the compound, maybe more if she wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be spotted.

Making her decision, she shimmered until there was no evidence of herself, then took off towards the shrine at an angle, intent on reaching her target.

* * *

"Last one in's a rotten egg!" Kuwabara said, running towards the water and stripping off his shirt in the process. He ploughed through the waves until it reached midway up his thighs, then did a shallow dive and swam strongly from shore. 

The two ladies were farther behind, setting down their towels on the beach before they got ready to strip down to their bathing suits. They all had arrived at the compound, paid respects to Genkai, and dropped off Yukina's purchases before they changed. Yukina had asked Genkai to join them, but she declined. "I'm sure none of you want to see me in a bathing suit anyway."

"Come on in, you two!" Kuwabara yelled from offshore. He was waving his arms above the water, as if he was afraid that they would lose sight of the only human in the water.

Yukina laughed, stepping out of her shorts and pulling her shirt up over her head. Kuwabara saw from shore, and blushed. The swimsuit she chose was a one piece covered with large snowflake patterns of deep blues and explosions of white. She undid the ribbon tying her hair, letting it flow free in the slight breeze.

Keiko had stripped down to a yellow two-piece, and pulled out some suntan lotion out of her bag. "Here, Yukina. Rub some of this on."

"What is this for?" She asked, holding out her hand as Keiko squeezed some out of the bottle.

"With your skin as white as it is, the sun's going to make you very unhappy without it."

"Hey ladies! Let's go already!" Kuwabara was shouting from the water.

"Would you shut up already?" Keiko yelled. "We'll be there in a minute. Just because you don't mind getting sunburn doesn't mean we don't!"

* * *

"Wow. That's a lot of stairs," Hana said, gazing at the mountain before her. 

"It's not so bad. You get used to it," Shizuru stated, starting to walk up. "Shouldn't take too long."

"Alright then," the brown haired girl muttered. "So tell me about this Genkai person I'm going to meet."

"Quite a fighter, that one. She's considered one of the best yokai slayers that ever lived. She's trained a lot of people, including Kurama and my bro. She lives up here in this compound away from anyone and anything she doesn't want entering."

"Are you sure she'd be okay with me here?" Hana said shyly. "I don't want to intrude…"

"For the last time, stop it. 'Guests of guests may not bring guests,' or something like that. I'm sure she won't mind. Not me anyway. Considering some of the characters that have come and gone around here, you're about as normal as they come."

"What about the others?"

"Should only be two other people. A friend of ours named Keiko and a yokai girl named Yukina."

Hana's eyes went wide and she stopped climbing the steps. "What?"

Shizuru stopped and turned around to face the younger girl. "No, don't worry. We've known her for years. Just because someone is a yokai doesn't mean they're bad. Sometimes humans are a lot worse. She doesn't have horns or anything like that either. She looks completely normal."

"Is she the one that's going to heal me?"

"Yeah. If she can't Genkai will. Then we can go to the beach, right?"

"Yeah! I haven't been swimming in a long time…"

"Great. We can see what the others are doing and either eat here or go back into town to get something."

* * *

"You know, I really wish you would let me know in advance when you bring someone here, Shizuru." 

Genkai looked Hana up and down, glaring once in a while at Shizuru. "What's the story on this one, besides the messed up arm?"

Shizuru told Genkai all of the events of last night, while the young girl looked at the floor, unable to make eye contact with anyone else in the room.

"So Kurama had to leave Makai in a rush, and didn't have time to get anything. Did you sense anything today?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary. Well," she said, now turning to Hana, "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss…Sakamoto, was it?"

Hana bowed. "Yes, it is. I'm so sorry to be a burden. If you don't want me here then I can just leave."

Genkia laughed. "Don't worry about it. If both Kurama and Shizuru can vouch for you then I'm sure you're alright." Hana let out a sigh of relief, and visibly relaxed.

"So then. I must ask one thing," the old mentor stated. "If I use this technique to heal you, I require something in return."

"O…okay," Hana said, suddenly unsure. What would be expected of her?

"The others ate earlier but I suspect they'll want to stay over for dinner. Simply help with the food preparation and cleaning, and that's all I ask."

Hana brightened, her green eyes sparkling. "Yes ma'am!" she exclaimed, bowing deeply. She winced when her arm was jarred, not going unnoticed by Genkai.

"Well, now that that's settled, come lie down over here. This might sting a bit, but I should be done in a few minutes."

* * *

"Hey, Shizuru's here!" 

Yukina, Keiko, and Kuwabara had enjoyed the beach thoroughly. Kuwabara had bodysurfed while the girls simply floated on their backs out past the waves, occasionally teaming up on Kuwabara during one of several splash fights that broke out. All three of them had been lying on their towels on the sand, relaxing under the afternoon sun, when Yukina had spoken.

"Really?" Keiko said. "How can you tell?"

"I sense her," Yukina said. "And Genkai is giving off a strange energy, the type she uses when she heals someone with her reiki."

Kuwabara sat up. "Healing someone? My sis isn't hurt, is she?"

"I don't know. Wouldn't you be able to tell if she was?"

Kuwabara closed his eyes and tried to make out if any of the feelings bouncing around were related to pain or his sister. He found none. Well, except the ones that reflected the pain she had inflicted on _him_ a few times…

"I'm not sensing anything. Hey! Do you think it could be that girl Kurama told us about?"

"Oh yeah," Keiko said. "Looks like Genkai must have seen we were busy, and wanted to help."

"Well that makes me glad she did," Yukina mentioned, tying her hair back. "I wouldn't want to risk hurting her. The only one I ever healed was you, Kazuma." She stood up, and shook her towel free from the sand. The other two followed suit.

"Well, you did a great job, Yukina! Of course," he added smugly, "I always _was_ an incredibly strong and resilient guy. Try to use it on other humans and it might not work as well."

"You jerk!" Keiko said, playfully pushing him. Kuwabara fell over flat on his ass, drawing laughter from the other two girls.

"Hey! What was that for?" he shouted angrily.

"I just decided to feel offended on Yukina's behalf, since she'd never think of hitting you."

"Why the hell is it whenever I make a comment about Yukina something bad happens to me? It makes me want to cry. And I have sand in my shorts now."

Yukina could barely contain a giggling fit at the reaction Kazuma was having. "We're going to go up to the house to get dinner started. If you want, you can wash yourself off in the water and come join us."

Kuwabara stood up gingerly, trying to keep any embedded sand from positioning itself further. "Okay, okay. I'll be there in a bit. Don't wait up. Jeez, did you have to do that to me?"

"Later, Kuwabara!" Keiko said as she turned with Yukina, their arms and bags with them. They started to head back up the trail that would lead them back to the compound.

Kuwabara ran out to the water again, and dove in. He loved swimming, and didn't get to do it as much as he liked to. He turned to float on his back, shifting to remove the sand from his body.

_Man, I screwed up again,_ Kuwabara said. _I bet Keiko pushed me because she's still mad I brought up Urameshi. Damn it, Urameshi. What happened to you?_

Kuwabara closed his eyes. He had shared a very close bond with Yusuke but that had disappeared over the last few years. They just weren't around each other anymore. Kuwabara had no place entering a Makai tournament, and he knew it. Truth be told…Kurama was probably his closest friend right now. Yusuke had come back and was gone in a flash. It was almost like meeting someone you hadn't seen from years. It was fun, but…without that connection anymore of constantly being around the person, being able to gauge their moods, their thoughts, their attitudes…there was always an awkwardness that couldn't be shrugged off. What did you have in common with each other except the old times?

He didn't know what exactly happened but he knew Keiko was hurting. He didn't need heightened perception to see _that_ much. _Yusuke, she's one of my best friends too…_

Might as well go back up to the house. Maybe he would be able to as Keiko about it later. And if Yukina was cooking the food, well…all the better! _Oh man, I couldn't believe how great she looked in that swimsuit…_

* * *

And there he was. 

Otoyo had snuck her way around the outer perimeter walls until she came to the beach before trying to hop over it. The reiki was much less powerful here, and it wasn't quite as difficult as before to set up her camouflage, both literally and figuratively. She made her way to the edge of the clearing where she finally saw the three of them. Two ningens and a yokai girl. Was that a girl from Koorime? Otoyo was taken aback for a split second when she saw that. _What was she doing here in Ningenkai? Just who are these people?_

Otoyo had waited, watching them from the shadows as they talked. Normally, she would just charge out and get what she needed, but she wasn't sure about the Koorime maiden. What type of powers did she possess? And could she fire off a warning to the others?

Otoyo gulped. How would she get him away from the others?

_What's this? Infighting?_ She thought it might be as the ningen girl pushed him down, then laughed with the Koorime. More words, some shouting on behalf of the target. Then the women left, and the one she had been told to find went back out into the water.

_Now! She saw her chance! _But as easy as it would have been to run up, and kill him quickly as he swam in the ocean, defenseless…a smile crept upon her face. She had a better idea.

How strong was he, and was he any good with a sword? She wanted to find out. And why not? She wanted to have a little fun, not run around paranoid that every yokai was out to get her. She had waited this long. She deserved that much.

If Ryominaka asked, she could always say that she wanted to learn about him. She wouldn't be happy, but then, it wasn't her own ass being risked. Otoyo came to a decision, and giggled slightly. This could be fun!

She saw he had stepped out of the water. She would have to set this up fast, and then could take some time in toying with him. Otoyo shimmered until she became invisible, before her shape morphed to that of the woman she had acquired earlier.

* * *

Kuwabara used his towel to dry off his hair after shaking the sand loose from it. Nothing like a refreshing swim. His head felt clearer, and he was actually quite hungry. He ran the towel over the rest of his body, drying off quickly when – 

_Flash. _Everything turned red, black, and orange for a split second.

Kuwabara's eyes went wide with horror. _Oh no…not again._

A territory? He hadn't felt those in years, and nothing good ever came out of it. His body seemed frozen in place, but he found that he could move it when he tried. It must have been out of shock…

His head whipped around, desperately trying to make sense of the situation. What psychics were there that could do this? Hagiri, Amanuma, Mitari, Kamiya…and those kids that Genkai had recruited…who else?

He heard a rustling behind him and turned around, extremely tense with beads of sweat over his face. He saw a young woman standing there, much to his surprise.

His eyes took in all the information they could at once – expensive shoes, beautiful legs, a short skirt, and a matching navy blue blazer that was open, revealing a tight white blouse. Her dark brown hair swayed slightly in the wind, obscuring part of her face. In any other situation, Kuwabara would have been taken aback by how beautiful she looked.

"You…" he said slowly. "You're doing this, aren't you?"

The girl raised her hand in a nonthreatening gesture. "Don't worry," she said in a quiet voice. "I'm not here to kill you, or anything like that."

Kuwabara stood his ground, tensing his muscles and dropping back into a fighting stance. "Don't give me that line of crap! Why the hell are you putting out a territory around me if you aren't looking for any trouble? Humans with psychic powers are never a good thing. So who are you? Some old friend of Sensui's? Don't think I won't get an answer from you by force just because you're a woman!"

Kuwabara was still shaking inside, and trying to act tough. The truth was, he had no idea what was going on. The last time he had dealt with humans with psychic powers, he had nearly ended up dead, along with all the ones he cared about.

She laughed. "So it's true what they say. You were always said to be a tough one. I'm glad that they were right. I had hoped to meet you."

This took him back as he straightened up, confused. What was she talking about? How did she know who he was?

"I've waited a long time to meet you, Kazuma Kuwabara," she said with a smile.

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update. Life has been hell the last few months to say the least. 

Can't believe it's been a year since I started this! Still have lots of things planned. Please R and R, as always. I love knowing people are enjoying reading it, and it's a great motivation to keep me writing it.

Much love to all of you!

Kusanagi


	16. Flight

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Updated! Short chapter here, (well, at least by my standards!) Time to check in on Ryominaka again. Can't let too much time go by without checking on the others, can we?

Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own Yu Yu but I do own all other non-canon characters in this story.

* * *

** Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares **

**Chapter Sixteen: Flight**

_Run!_

The young yokai fled for his life, the scent of charred flesh and death still strong in his nostrils, the edges of his tunic burned to cinders.

It had all been going according to plan. Everything was going perfectly. They had killed the defenders and then that yokai dressed in black with the wild hair showed up and obliterated all of them with a single blast. He had been watching from the trees as the fight took place, and that was his only saving grace. He had barely had time to defend himself, and even then, was able to do little more than try to deflect the blast from around his body, unsuccessfully.

Dust and ashes matted his hair, the tips of his ears singed as he ran through the trees, desperately trying to get back. He didn't sense the yoki of any of the others; they were all gone…Otoyo, Maruka, Kanashi…

_Am I the only one left?_ He thought to himself as he ran, his ears pivoting atop his head to listen to everything he could pick up. Pain made him wince as the tender flesh twisted. His body was close to exhaustion as he had been running for hours.

_Mommy…_

He had to get back to her, make sure she was all right. If they found her, they would capture her, beat her, or worse!

He had almost reached the clearing, as he expanded his senses to try and pick her up. He knew the group was supposed to meet up at the safehouse after the mission, but nobody thought they wouldn't be able to get through!

He leapt into the air, over a fallen log, using his tail to balance himself in midair, but his form was sloppy. His body screamed at him, so close to giving out. He hit the ground and rolled upright, regaining his balance. He took off again at top speed, heading for the cliff at the opposite end, and the cave it hid underneath.

The wind made his cheeks feel cold, and only then did he notice the tears coming down them. He hadn't even realized he had been crying.

* * *

"Mother!" 

Ryominaka heard the voice call out and echo down the entrance to the cave. She recognized it instantly, and the urgency in it.

"Shiruko?" she called back. She saw the terrified youth burst into view around a bend, her heart thundering in time with his frantic footfalls.

He ran straight into her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his head into her chest while sobbing. "Mother, I'm so glad you're safe! I was so scared…"

Ryominaka did not know what had happened to her son, but the scents of battle, of ash, and of death flooded the air around him, and caused a flood of panicked emotions within her. Anger at whatever did this to him, relief that he was alright, anger towards him for being in some sort of situation…but that would be for later. Relief won out the battle in her mind, as she dropped to her knees and embraced him tightly.

"Shiruko! What happened to you? Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not," the boy sobbed. "They're all dead, he killed them, and he almost got me too!"

"Who's dead?" Ryominaka said, pulling back and gripping her son by the shoulders. "Who killed them?"

"Everyone, mommy. Everyone you sent to the portal was killed by a single yokai, he had black hair and a sword and-"

"_Shiruko!_" Ryominaka said, her voice rising in volume and pitch. "What were you doing there? _I told you not to go anywhere near there!_" She shook the youth in her fearful anger, causing his silver hair to sway and his own ears to fold back along his head. "You could have been killed!"

The pain and shock from his mother shaking him caused Shiruko to start to cry again. Ryominaka saw the dust in his hair, the stains on his cheeks, and the fact his tunic was ruined. Even some of the hair on his tail had charred, its unpleasant smell stinging her nostrils.

"I'm sorry, mom, I just wanted to help…"

Ryominaka clasped her arms around her son again, burying his head into her shoulder and bringing a hand to the back of his head to stroke it carefully. Her hand touched one of his ears and he shrieked, the pain from the contact with the damaged skin almost more than he could take.

"I'm so sorry," he said, his young body about to collapse as the adrenaline wore off. Taxed to the limit, having run on nothing but terror in the hours since he watched his friends being attacked, his body shut down as he passed out in Ryominaka's arms. Seeing his half opened, blank eyes sent Ryominaka into a frenzy.

She worked swiftly, carrying her son to the back of the cave where she had set up a makeshift quarter, and placed him on the bed. She stripped him of his ruined clothes and saw just how badly he had been burned.

The skin was an angry red on his body and the fur had been singed almost completely off his ears, which were inflamed. The skin there looked like it was pulled far too taut, straining against the swelling underneath.

Fighting back her anger and tears, she pulled out from under the bed a large kit containing medicinal supplies for yokai, a product of Mukuro's former nation. Mukuro's kingdom had been the farthest along in terms of medical technology, even rumored to be able to bring the dead back to life…

She laid out several medicinal creams and a large assortment of bandages and went to work cleaning and dressing her son's wounds. His breathing was shallow, and she was thankful he was unconscious or the pain from this process would have been unbearable.

When she had finished, his hands and forearms were completely bandaged, and she had tied his hair back into a tight braid to keep it away from his skin and ears as much as possible. She had cut away the burned edges of silver in his mane, and on his tail as well, and knew that the few inches of length he had lost would grow back soon. Most of the skin that had been exposed during the blast was bandaged as well, and all she could do was coat his ears in a cooling salve, unable to bandage them at all.

Ryominaka, for all the skills she had picked up over the centuries she had lived, was not a healer and never would be. She had never learned to heal others, a skill that was very coveted, and few possessed…

She was furious, and scared. The boy could go into shock, and would need the help of one of her healers. Otoyo possessed that skill, one of the many she had stolen during her relatively short life, but if she was dead…

_No, Otoyo wouldn't be dead. I would know it if she was._ Ryominaka reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device. She had planted a tracker on Otoyo, unknown to her, before she left. The device would transmit the position of wherever it was in Makai, and would also send out a signal the moment it was destroyed.

At least Yomi's technology had been good for _something._

The small screen on the handheld receiver glowed. The transmitter was not in range – but it hadn't sent out the signal that had shown it was destroyed. The only conclusions were that Otoyo would have to be blocking the signal (impossible), the yokai who had attacked the group destroyed the transmitter in such a way that it prevented the destruction signal from emitting (very unlikely), or that Otoyo had slipped through the gate as the original intention was.

All she could do was wait until Otoyo made it back from Ningenkai. She might be young and easily distracted, but the promise of pulling off this opportunity was just too good to pass up.

But her son…she had tried to keep him out of this and he had gone along anyway without her knowledge. Ryominaka was never good at sensing yoki or reiki, always employing others for that use. She couldn't even sense the power spike from the attack that wiped out her soldiers, but if what Shiruko said was true…

I don't care if he is an A-class or S-class. Once we succeed I'll personally see to his death! Rominaka balled her fist in rage, hard enough for the nails to cut her palms. Her ears folded back and she bared her teeth in reflex at the anger that washed over her.

As soon as it hit her, it was past. She had matters to attend to, and little time to put them into action. She would be unable to do anything until Otoyo came back and they were able to meet with their plant in Enki's council, but in the meantime she had to try and find someone to help heal her son…and hopefully someone who was not already one of Enki's lackeys.

* * *

Short update here with a longer one on the way. Just moved into a new apartment, and am spending almost all my free time setting it up!

Please R and R!

Kusanagi


	17. Showdown

**Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

Moved into a new apartment and trying to get back into school. Work sucks, so I finally was able to update.

Hope these 12 pages make up for the wait!

* * *

**New Dreams, Old Nightmares**

**Chapter Seventeen: Showdown**

Showdowns.

Old as time itself.

One could consider them a universal principal of life. From the smallest bacteria to the countries of that encompassed the world, everyone knew what they were and had been involved in them countless times.

The newest one was now unfolding: A beautiful young woman and a tall young man.

Kuwabara gazed at this new foe. Was she a foe? Everything in his mind told him that yes, she was. There was no mistaking the feeling around him, the tingling in the back of his neck that told him he was encompassed within a territory.

The last time he had encountered these, nearly three years ago, it had almost cost him his life. It was _not_ an experience he wanted to relive.

"Who are you?" he challenged.

The young woman stretched, putting her arms over her head and linking her fingers. "Oh, nobody special. Just a fan…" she said, a smirk creeping into the edges of her lips.

"Don't give me that crap! This territory, it's yours, isn't it? What the hell _are _you? A psychic?"

Oh my, he's smarter than he looks. I didn't know he would be able to sense my territory. This changes things slightly. 

"Don't worry, I didn't come to kill you. I only want one thing."

Kuwabara's eyes narrowed, his body never dropping from the defensive stance he put himself in. "Yeah? Forget about it. If I can sense this, the others can too. You better get out of here while you still can, before Genkai and the others come back."

The girl laughed, her hair swaying in the wind. "No, they can't. This territory that you're in?" she said, pointing at the ground and tapping it with her foot. "It's pretty useful. It masks all traces of reiki inside it. Sorry, dear, but nobody knows what's going on inside this happy little bubble."

Kuwabara growled in frustration. If that were true, he couldn't rely on anyone's help in this situation.

She put her hands behind her back, and drew circles in the sand lazily with the toe of her shoe, looking down and biting her lower lip nervously. _Come on big boy, I know this makes me look cute and helpless. Take the bait._

It worked, for a second. Kuwabara was off guard as he saw the innocent, almost naïve gesture that she was doing.

"Who are you?" he said in a forceful voice, not only to try and intimidate her, but reassure himself as well.

She gasped at the anger of his words, then quickly recovered. "My name is Otoyo," she said, bowing. "It is as you say, I am a psychic. And I've waited a long time to meet you, Mr. Kuwabara," she finished, her bow deepening in a sign of respect.

"Th…then why are you here? What's your deal, anyway?"

She stood up and looked into his eyes, a cold penetrating stare. _This is going to be fun!_

"You are one of the strongest ningen that uses reiki in this world. You were the only ningen in the last tournament on Hanging Neck island. You face down and won against the Toguros, the strongest yokai that were in Ningenkai."

She took a breath before continuing, letting this praise sink into an increasingly bewildered Kuwabara.

"A user of a reiken is very rare. I can't think of any other ningens who possess that ability…"

At this, she held her hand out to her side, drawing Kuwabara's attention. She gathered a small sphere of purple energy in her palm, and this caused Kuwabara to step backward.

_This isn't good!_ He thought to himself. _What the heck is she getting at? Although, it is nice to feel appreciated once in a while._

His eyes widened as the energy in her hand lengthened into a blade as she closed her fist. She now held a reiken that was nearly identical to his own, except for the color. A deep violet glow emanated from it, lighting up one half of her face. She was smiling.

"You see, I'm just like you are," Otoyo said, bringing the blade up and holding it out, almost as if to show it off to him. "I can concentrate my reiki into a blade," she said, twirling it around, "although I'm not so sure that I'm quite as good at it as you."

It was hard not to laugh when she said that. _That's it…_

"I saw you during that tournament. I looked up to you. I was able to form a reiken at that time but I never thought of entering. So," she said, holding the blade up and looking at it, tendrils of white energy pulsing through it's length, "I got stronger. Then I noticed I was increasing my ability to control reiki. I'm a psychic, as you say."

Kuwabara finally dropped his guard, forgetting temporarily about the territory. "So you got your powers a few years ago? Let me guess, you're from Mushiyori city, right?"

_Pretend to be shocked._

Otoyo was shocked. "Yes! So did others…and all these bad things started happening. Yokai insects, everything. Rumor has it someone was trying to open a door to Makai. But rumor also has it you were very helpful in stopping it."

Kuwabara laughed for the first time, placing his hand behind his head. "Well, I don't know about _that_…" _I probably did more harm than good in that case…_

_Flattery will get me everywhere, _Otoyo thought with an inward smirk. _Time to lay it on thick._

"I had hoped I would meet you. I…have a favor to ask you," she meekly said, reverting back to staring at the ground, stealing glances at him through her bangs.

"What is it?" Kuwabara asked, skepticism returning to his voice.

"I want to test my skills against the one I looked up to." She defiantly held out her blade, pointing it at him. "Will you face me in a match?"

This was the last thing that Kuwabara expected. He took another step back at the sudden ferocity in her voice. "Wait a minute! What about the territory? Why is this still here?"

Otoyo lowered her voice. "Because…there would be no other way for this to happen. If anyone felt our energies fighting, we'd be magnets for yokai. I hate them and don't want to fight them, I've almost been killed by them before…" _Okay, that last one wasn't totally a lie…_

She seized the opportunity, and spoke quickly, energetically, trying to get him riled up. "Please, do me this honor."

_Wow, she's serious! I don't think I can refuse, _Kuwabara thought to himself. Even if he was sealed inside her territory, what she had said made sense. If this is what she wanted, then yeah, it would set off all kinds of spiritual alarms.

Besides, it's been too long since I had a good fight! At least, one where I wasn't fighting for my life…

He chuckled and crossed his arms. "Okay, I'll go a round with you. Any special rules?"

Otoyo grinned. "First blood."

"Huh?"

"Don't you know? It's the traditional method of dueling with blades. The first one to make the other bleed wins. That's all I want."

"Hey now, I don't feel that this is going to be fair…"

Otoyo deliberately misread what he meant by that, and the blade vanished in her hands as she brought them up to undo the buttons on her blazer. "You're right," she intoned, peeling off the outer jacket as Kuwabara started to protest.

"Hey, wait a minute! What are you doing?" He said, starting to blush.

She started to unbutton her blouse, stopping and looking at him. "Well, you're only wearing your swim trunks. It doesn't seem fair that I'm wearing a suit, is it?"

Kuwabara had no reply, his face growing red.

"Come on big boy," Otoyo said, winking as the last button came undone, revealing her toned torso and white bra. "Enjoy the show, and the fight. I'm keeping the bra on though."

"You can't be serious…" Kuwabara finally managed to stutter out. _Wow, what a knockout!_

"What, about the bra?" Otoyo grinned. _Fun indeed._ "Well, if you're fast enough to cut it off then I suppose you deserve the view…" she ended with a sly smirk that made his heart skip two beats.

"That's not what I meant…" he said, trying to regain some of his dignity. "I don't know if I can fight you. I mean, you said it yourself, I'm the strongest ningen around right now."

"No, I didn't quite say that," she said, turning sideways and looking at him, the energy sphere starting to crackle in her right hand again. "I said you were _one of them._ Wanna see if you _are?_ Or are you too afraid of a half naked girl?"

The redness in Kuwabara's face didn't go away, but the reason for it was replaced with a flash of anger. "Hey, I still have my pride you know!"

"Good," she replied. "First blood wins. Don't worry, I think we're both fast healers."

Kuwabara stepped back into a braced stance, holding his right wrist with his left hand, concentrating his long dormant reiki down the length of his arms. A light began to glow in his palm, suddenly leaping out into his reiken, burning the edges of the air with a defiant orange light.

_Aww, I don't get to see the _Jigen-to?Otoyo thought in disappointment. _If I saw how he used it, then I might be able to control it better when I get my hands on it._

Instead of voicing her concerns however, she formed her own blade, the hums of electricity in the air competing with the waves on the shoreline.

"You ready?" Kuwabara asked.

"Definitely," Otoyo replied with a malicious grin.

* * *

Hana was painfully laid down on the floor, her arm out of the sling and stretched outward to the side. The pain from her shoulder was almost unbearable, and she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

Yukina and Keiko chose that moment to walk in, surprise on their faces at the sight of Hana prone on the floor.

"What's going on, Genkai?" Keiko asked, confusion in her voice. Yukina looked at Hana, but said nothing.

"Shizuru brought some company," the old woman said wryly. "Keiko, would you mind starting dinner? I hate to ask so abruptly, but I'm going to be busy here for a while. I can introduce the three of you later."

"Sure," Keiko hesitantly said. She cast one glance back towards Hana and their eyes met. Keiko was finding herself disturbed. The other woman's eyes had lit up with …recognition? Was she a student from school? They looked to be the same age…

Hana had indeed recognized her from the photograph at the Kuwabara house. Her hair was much longer than in the photo, however.

"Yukina," Genkai said. "Get a cool compress for her forehead. This might take some time." The older woman knelt down by the injured one, and gingerly laid her hand on Hana's shoulder.

Hana cried out, her eyes squeezed tightly, a few strands of hair clinging to her forehead. Yukina came back in with a bowl and a washcloth.

"You're a very brave young woman, Miss Sakamoto," Genkai said as she ran threads of reiki through Hana's body to assess the damage. "Your arm was almost dislocated, but you also have tendon and ligament damage in the joint."

"He yanked me clear off the ground, I thought it was going to break…" Hana said, feeling an intense heat at the site of her injury. Yukina had dipped the washcloth in the bowl, and wrung it out before placing the cool fabric against Hana's forehead.

"Thank you," Hana whispered to the blue haired girl. She received a warm smile in return.

"I won't lie, this is going to hurt," Genkai said. "Most of the people I do this on are unconscious at the time. Would you like me to put you to sleep first?"

Hana nodded weakly. "If it hurts more than it does now, I don't know if I can take it…"

Genkai moved over and took the washcloth off of Hana's forehead. She placed her own hand there, feeling the heat of a fever underneath the cool dampness. Poor girl's body was going into overdrive to try and repair the damage…

"Just close your eyes. When you wake up everything will be better."

"What are you going to do, Genkai?" Yukina asked. She could heal, but she didn't know of any technique that would put someone to sleep…

"I'm going to absorb her reiki. It should be enough to put her under. She'll wake up in an hour or two when she regenerates it. Don't worry, Hana, you won't feel a thing."

Hana nodded again, and started to feel a cool tingling wash over her body. It started in her toes and fingers, and then moved up her arms. Her body was going numb, carrying her away into a dreamless sleep.

Within three minutes, she was sound asleep and breathing easily.

Genkai turned to Yukina. "I've drained her of her reiki. This is a good chance for you to use your own healing powers on her. Do you want to?"

Yukina was surprised at this request. "Are you sure?"

"Come on now, compared to some of the wounds you've healed this should be a cakewalk. Or you could go get dinner started."

Yukina thought about it. "You know, she's probably going to be hungry when she gets up."

"How about you and Shizuru get started then? I'll handle this here," Genkai asked.

Yukina stood up, bowed to excuse herself, and left the room, taking the bowl and washcloth with her.

Genkai looked down at the young girl sleeping peacefully in front of her before arching an eyebrow in concern.

_Three minutes? Normally it takes only one…_she thought to herself. _I wonder what this means…That's quite a large amount of reiki for a normal ningen._

Making a mental note for later, Genkai placed her hands fully on Hana's shoulder. She started mixing her reiki with Hana's own that she absorbed, using it to start to heal the damage that had been done.

* * *

Kuwabara was actually having fun.

The fight had gone on for a few minutes. Otoyo had formed her blade and leapt at him, with him barely having time to dodge. He rolled off to the side, sand flying, as she came at him again, and he had met her head on.

Slashing, swinging, blocking, it was all moving as a blur.

The girl was good, Kuwabara had to admit. _Damned_ good. He was mostly on the defense, the fire in her eyes and automatic hesitance that Kuwabara still felt making her the aggressor.

Here she came again, face scrunched up in concentration as she got ready for a backhanded slash. Kuwabara raised his sword to block, and the blades met with such fury that lightning crackled around them.

He lost that particular clash, his sword being knocked to the side. Otoyo grinned, and yelled "Got you!" as she continued spinning around, aiming her sword to deftly slice him.

She was surprised when it was blocked, then smiled.

Kuwabara was panting, but smiling back. The sword in his right hand was firmly embedded in the sand, but the one he had just formed in his left hand had caught Otoyo's in the nick of time. Otoyo jumped back, flipping in the air and coming to rest ten feet away from Kuwbara.

"I forgot you could do that," she said, breathing heavily, sweat beading on her body.

"You're something else, you know that?" Kuwabara said. "I haven't had this much fun in years!"

Otoyo ran her free hand through her hair, smoothing it back. "So, you had to pull out a second one, huh?"

Kuwabara grinned. "Well…I could always put it away if it ends up being too much for you to handle…"

Otoyo held her blade parallel to the ground, turning it so it ran crosswise to her body. "No, that's okay. If you're going to step it up a notch, then I'll just have to do the same."

Kuwabara sweatdropped. What would have been the hilt of Otoyo's blade extended backwards quickly, until it grew to the same length as the sword itself. Morphing into another blade, she now held a dual reiken, six feet long.

"Oh shit," he gulped.

"I haven't gotten too good with this one yet," Otoyo said, twirling it in her hand. "I don't think you can do this, can you?"

"You know," Kuwabara said, holding the two swords in his hands. "I never tried."

This is a lot more fun than I thought it would be! I'm sure 'naka can understand that I just want to have some fun after being cooped up in Makai for so long. He's not bad…for a ningen. I could have easily killed him, but I love toying with him so much more.

Otoyo was secretly keeping a lid on her yoki, purposefully raising it only as Kuwabara did his. The fight would be over too quickly otherwise. As far as skill went, things were pretty much even at this level.

She dropped back into her stance, twirling her stave of reiki behind her. "Your turn," she said, smiling and inviting him to strike.

Kuwabara came at her, both swords swinging as she ducked under one, then jumped high in the air over the other, flipping and landing on the other side of him. Not missing a beat, she turned and brought one end of her blade down, only to have it caught by both of his in a lock.

"Not bad!" she yelled, before swinging the other end of her weapon towards his head, which he ducked as he rolled backwards, the brief exchange causing both of them to pant heavily.

"You're every bit as good as I knew you'd be," Otoyo said, still languishing him in compliments.

"You're not bad yourself! I'm gonna have to go for a swim after this," he exclaimed, sweaty from the workout.

Neither one of them had managed to land a hit on the other.

"You want to try that one again?" Otoyo yelled in challenge, spinning her blade in front of her in a whirlwind of crackling reiki.

"You know it!" Kuwabara said, rushing towards her, swords ready.

Otoyo grinned to herself. _Time to end this. Let's see what he can do._

_FLASH!_

Otoyo's eyes widened, her focus gone for a split second as she felt an energy spike come from within the compound up the hill.

It wasn't much of one, but it was so surprising and unexpected that it broke through her concentration.

It almost cost her. When she came to a second later, Kuwabara was swinging one of his swords quickly, almost too quickly, and Otoyo jerked back in pure reflex, a few strands of hair falling lazily to the sand, having been seared off by Kuwabara's assault. He kept at it, and for a few seconds, she truly was on the defense. She barely managed to avoid his slashes, the longer weapon suddenly cumbersome compared to his twin blades.

She jumped back to put some distance between them, thinking furiously. _If that spike of reiki meant anything, they could find me! I can't let that happen!_

Otoyo bit her lip. Now was the time to end it. She needed his blood. She needed to cut him.

And how _dare_ he cut her hair like that! Sure it wasn't exactly hers, but _how dare he!_

"Looks like I won that little skirmish, huh?" Kuwabara said, his eyes lighting up with pride.

Otoyo finally let her anger bleed through, also coming about as a result of desperation. "One final clash to settle it?" she said, half of her stave disappearing to reform her original reiken. Kuwabara brought his reiken together, merging into his original blade as well.

"Sounds good to me!"

The two stood there, braced, knowing this next strike would determine the victor. Otoyo could have easily phased and caught him off guard, but her concentration was rattled. It was all she could do just to maintain her territory.

"Here I come!" Kuwabara shouted, rushing towards her at full speed, sand kicking up in his wake, his blade held high. Otoyo followed suit, hers held low, it's tip dragging along the beach, leaving a thin stream of glass in the ground where it touched.

The two met quickly, then their momentum carried them past each other. Both were breathing heavily.

Kuwabara felt a burning sensation on his left arm. Looking down, he saw a neat slice about halfway up his forearm, about two inches long and barely an eight of an inch deep.

Just enough to bleed.

He started laughing as he stared at the wound, and his reiken dissipated back into his body.

"Congrats, girl!" he said, turning around. "You got me!" He was breathing heavily, glad that it was over. He fell over backwards into the sand, instantly regretting it as it clung to his sweaty back.

Otoyo had turned around, looking at him as he flopped down. "See?" he said, holding out his arm.

She gave a smirk. "Looks like I won," she said, even as a sticky wetness started to run down her left side.

"Nope, not quite," he said, pointing. "Looks like it was a draw."

She looked down at her side, and sure enough, almost an identical gash was between her lower ribs, a small rivulet of blood leaking out of it, down her side, towards the waistband of her skirt.

Anger flared within her. _He actually cut me? He was able to get a blow in?_

How could I have been cut by a mere ningen? I should just kill him right now for what he did to me!

The teen at her feet was laughing though. _The mission comes first. I'll make sure I personally take your head off when the mission is over. Damnit._

Otoyo sighed in resignation, and reached into a pocket on her skirt to pull out a white handkerchief. Folding it over, she handed it to Kuwabara, as he pressed it against his wound to stop the bleeding.

_This isn't too serious, _Kuwabara thought._ I can just say I got a scratch on a rock, and Yukina can heal me. Thanks to Otoyo's territory, she won't know any different._

"Thanks," Kuwabara said with a long exhale. "What about you?"

"Don't worry about it," Otoyo said, a fake smile plastered on her face. _I'm going to kill you for that._ "I heal quickly," she remarked nonchalantly, taking her handkerchief back and pressing a clean side on her own wound. As soon as she changed back to her normal form, the wound would vanish. But she couldn't. Not just yet.

"Thank you for the match, Kuwabara," Otoyo said, bowing deeply as he rose to his feet. She deftly slipped the handkerchief back into her skirt. He started to brush the sand off of himself while she went over and picked up her blouse.

"Let's do that again sometime," he replied, bowing gracefully towards her. "I haven't had that much fun in years."

"Oh?" She said, feigning interest as she buttoned up the white fabric.

"No. Not since Junior High. Every time I was fighting, it was for my life. It's nice to have a good old fashioned brawl now and then."

She finished with the blouse, then slung the jacket over her shoulder. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this…promise?"

"Why?" Kuwabara said.

"I just…I don't want anyone to know."

"Um, sure, I guess..."

"Thanks," she said, winking. "I'm sure we'll meet again!"

With that, she turned and walked away, her territory dissipating with her. Last thing she needed was for someone coming back to the beach to run into it. She heard a splash in the water, no doubt that idiot jumping in to wash the sand and sweat off his body.

I could use that too… 

As soon as she had reached the cover of the trees, she changed back into her normal form, shimmering as her body morphed. She pulled out the bloodied handkerchief, and held it to her eyes, scrutinizing.

Yes. She could feel his reiki in the blood. It was faint, but it was all she needed.

She pulled back her garment, exposing the cut on her side. It was probably a good thing that he had done this, but it still pissed her off that it had happened that way…

Otoyo pressed the part of the handkerchief that had Kuwabara's blood against her own ripped skin, her blood mixing with his own, staining the white fabric even further. Otoyo closed her eyes and concentrated, the blood actually drawing _back into_ her body, sucking it out of the fabric until it was white as snow.

Soon now, all of his powers would be hers. It would just take a little bit of time.

She healed herself quickly, the wound closing to a hairline scar before disappearing completely. Taking off at full speed, she started laughing to herself.

* * *

Yet another long time between updates but I hope the 12 pages made up for it! 

Please R&R! Love to hear what you guys think!

**Kusanagi**


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